Gen Z Republicans: The 29-year-old candidate vying for Iowa's second district

Joe Mitchell is 29 years old. He is running to represent Iowa's second congressional district in a race described as one of few tossups in the country. As voters grow skeptical of President Trump and Democrats move closer to controlling Congress, Mitchell has secured the president's endorsement. If he wins, he will join a new cohort of Gen Z Republicans entering Washington.

This group is small. Aside from Mitchell, only a few other Gen Z Republicans are seeking House seats. One candidate is running in a safely red district. The others are challenging for seats considered safe for Democrats. Mitchell, a former state senator and real estate developer, argues that voters are eager for new leadership. He stated that people across party lines are looking for hope and want to see young people involved in government.

Mitchell’s platform focuses on what he calls anti-corruption measures. He is proposing term limits of six terms for House members and a ban on stock trading for congressmen. He has also turned down donations from corporate PACs. He believes these issues resonate with Americans under 30, who report high levels of concern about their economic future and a deep distrust of institutions. He noted that young people and independents are frustrated with the current system and that this frustration is justified.

Currently, only one Gen Z member serves in the House: Maxwell Frost, a 29-year-old Democrat from Florida. Two more candidates are expected to win on Tuesday. Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old democratic socialist, is favored in Colorado's first district. Michael Alfonso, a 26-year-old Republican, is expected to win Wisconsin's seventh district. Alfonso is married to the daughter of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. If elected, Alfonso would be the first person born in the 2000s to serve in Congress. He told Wisconsin Public Radio that his age is his greatest advantage and that he shares values of hard work, faith, and family with his constituents.

Winning office in one's 20s remains rare. The oldest members of Gen Z turn 30 next year, meaning the generation is just reaching the minimum age of 25 required for the House. A report from Future Caucus, a nonpartisan group, found that only 4% of congressional candidates this cycle were Gen Z. This generation was the least likely to advance past the primary. Data shows that a majority of Gen Z candidates ran as Democrats. Fewer than one-third filed as Republicans. Another 16% ran as independents or third-party candidates.

Conservative organizers are working to build a bench of young leaders. Adam Pennings, executive director of Run Gen Z, said young people need a seat at the table. He added that the organization is preparing candidates to lead as long-serving politicians retire. In late October, Run Gen Z announced endorsements for more than 220 Gen Z and millennial conservatives across the country. This list included Mitchell, Alfonso, and Riley Owen, a 28-year-old Republican running in Utah's newly redrawn first district, which favors Democrats.

Owen acknowledged the difficulty of his race but remained optimistic. He said people are hungry for new solutions and fresh ideas. Mitchell believes the future of the Republican Party is an America First party. He argued that this approach asks how policies help the American people. He noted that Vice President JD Vance and other cabinet members share this view. However, the definition of America First has become a point of contention within the conservative movement, especially regarding the U.S. war with Iran.

Mitchell has not come out against the war but said Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. He cautioned against endless wars. When asked if Trump's agenda fits his definition of America First, Mitchell said it does. He added that, like any definition, people can interpret it in various ways.