Maxwell Frost, a 25-year-old Florida Democrat, campaigned on issues important to young voters including gun violence and abortion rights.
Generation Z is now in the House.
Maxwell Alejandro Frost, 25, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, making him the first member of Gen Z to secure a seat in Congress.
The Florida Democrat ran a campaign that reiterated and validated the top concerns of his generation: addressing mass shootings, abortion rights, gun control, climate change and health care for everyone.
Frost, who turned 25 this year, has a history in activism, beginning his fight at age 15 because "I didn't want to get shot at school," he said. Gen Z, whose oldest members were born in 1997, is newly eligible for membership in the House, which has a Constitutional minimum age requirement of 25.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden told White House reporters that he was grateful for the huge numbers of young voters who turned out Tuesday for the crucial midterm elections and mentioned Frost by name.
"I have no doubt he's off to an incredible start, and what I'm sure will be a long distinguished career," Biden said.
The favored candidate for the 10th Congressional District based in Orlando tweeted after Tuesday night's election victory, "WE WON!!!! History was made tonight. We made history for Floridians, for Gen Z, and for everyone who believes we deserve a better future.
"I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to represent my home in the United States Congress," he said.
Frost was also tickled by receiving a phone call from Biden after winning Tuesday night.
"Still thinking about that 'please hold for the President' call last night," Frost tweeted on Wednesday. "Life is wild!"
Frost identifies as Afro Cuban, and his generation is more racially and ethnically diverse than older groups.
But he is not the youngest person ever elected to the House.
That distinction belongs to Charles Cole Claiborne of Tennessee, according to the U.S. House of Representatives Archive.
Claiborne was first elected in 1797 at age 22 to fill Andrew Jackson's seat after the latter was elected to the Senate. Claiborne was reelected at age 24. In both cases, the House chose to seat him despite him being younger than the new country's age requirement.
Before the election, Frost was a national organizing director for the gun safety group March For Our Lives, which was founded by survivors of the 2018 Parkland school massacre in Florida. He noted during his campaign that he had grown up during a time when school shooting drills were held more often than fire drills.
Frost was heartened by the large number of young voters who turned out this week.
"What that shows me is that there's a lot of hope and promise in this nation as young people are starting to rise up and really step into their political power," he said.
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