Mitchell and Alfonso Lead Small Wave of Gen Z GOP Candidates in 2026
Fewer than 4% of congressional candidates are from the generation born after 1997, and only a fraction of them are Republicans.
By Grace Sullivan ·
Joe Mitchell, 29, is competing in Iowa's second congressional district race. He holds President Trump's endorsement. If he wins the seat next month, he will join a small group of young Republicans entering a House currently dominated by older members.
The pool of Gen Z candidates is thin. Apart from Mitchell, only a handful of other Republicans from that generation are running for House seats. Most are in difficult positions. One candidate, Michael Alfonso, 26, is running in Wisconsin's seventh district. It is a heavily Republican area. Alfonso is expected to win the seat on Tuesday. He is married to the daughter of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. If elected, he will be the first person born in the 2000s to serve in Congress.
Mitchell's campaign focuses on structural changes in Washington. He has proposed term limits for House members, capping service at six terms. He also wants to ban congressional stock trading. He has rejected donations from corporate PACs. He describes these measures as part of an anti-corruption platform. He argues that voters under 30 have high levels of distrust for institutions and economic anxiety.
"I think people are looking for hope, regardless of what party they're in," Mitchell said. "They want to see young people get involved, and I hear that everywhere we go." He added that young people across the political spectrum are frustrated with the current system.
Data from Future Caucus, a nonpartisan organization, shows that just 4% of congressional candidates this cycle are part of Gen Z. This group has the lowest primary win rate of any generation. A majority of Gen Z candidates filed as Democrats. Under a third filed as Republicans. Another 16% ran as independents or third-party candidates.
Adam Pennings is the executive director of Run Gen Z. He helped found the organization with Mitchell. The group announced endorsements for more than 220 Gen Z and millennial conservatives in late October. This includes Mitchell, Alfonso, and Riley Owen. Owen, 28, is running in Utah's first district. The district favors Democrats. Owen says his campaign offers fresh ideas and a grassroots approach.
Mitchell believes the Republican Party should define itself as an America First party. He says this approach asks how policies help the American people. He notes that Vice President JD Vance and other Trump cabinet members share this view. The term has become a point of contention within the GOP, especially regarding the war with Iran. Mitchell has not opposed the war directly. He says Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, but he does not support endless wars. He stated that people can interpret the definition of America First in various ways.
