Who are the youngest members of the US Congress?
In a key US congressional election, a 30-year-old Democratic newcomer could soon take over a House seat held by Republicans for decades. This would make Jon Ossoff part of a rare breed: a millennial member of Congress.
Millennial Democrat could become youngest US congressperson
At just 30 years old, Jon Ossoff could soon be the youngest US congressman and pull off a major victory for the Democratic Party. The Democrat just pulled in over 48 percent of the vote in a special election on Tuesday in Georgia's sixth congressional district. The election was called because long-serving Republican house member Tom Price was appointed Health Secretary in Trump's cabinet.
Runoff election in June
June's runoff election will pit Ossoff against Republican Karen Handel, 55, who pulled in just under 20 percent initially. The young documentary filmmaker has been backed by progressive activists nationwide in an effort to turn the district, long held by conservatives, Democratic. If elected, Ossoff would be the youngest member of Congress and one of just six representatives born after 1980.
Youngest current House Representative: Elise Stefanik
The youngest member of the current House is 32-year-old Elise Stefanik. The Republican from New York State was first voted into office at age 30 in 2014, making her the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Stefanik is among the leaders of the Tuesday Group, a group of moderate House Republicans. She recently opposed President Trump's "travel ban" for people from Muslim-majority countries.
Youngest House Democrat: Tulsi Gabbard
The youngest Democrat currently serving in the House is Tulsi Gabbard. The 36-year old Hawaiian was first elected in 2013. Gabbard, who endorsed Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary, is considered part of the progressive wing of the Democratic party, but has also come under fire from within her own party for supporting a bill backed by conservatives to block refugees from resettling in the US.
Youngest Senator: Tom Cotton
The youngest current U.S. Senator is Tom Cotton, a 39-year old Republican from Arkansas. First elected in 2015, Cotton is known as a staunch conservative. News site "The Atlantic" once said that the Harvard-educated lawyer "unites the factions of the Republican civil war: The establishment loves his background, while the Tea Party loves his ideological purity."
Cotton is the only Senator under 40
Colorado Republican Cory Gardner (pictured right), 42, and Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy (left), 43, are the second- and third-youngest current Senators. Gardner, like House millennial Stefanik, is a moderate conservative who has criticized Trump's "travel ban". Murphy made a name for himself as an advocate for stricter gun control legislation.
Did you know that John F. Kennedy was not the youngest US president?
While John F. Kennedy might be remembered as the prototypical young president, he is in fact only the second youngest US president. Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was roughly 9 month younger than Kennedy when he was sworn into office at age 42 in 1901, making him the youngest president in US history. Current president Donald Trump (70) is the oldest man ever elected president.
Age rules not always respected
The youngest person ever elected to Congress, William C. C. Claiborne, entered the House at age 22 in 1797. The US Constitution originally required House members to be at least 21, but today that threshold is 25. The minimum age for senators has always been 30, though this rule has not always been enforced. To this day, four Senators were sworn in at age 28 or 29, all in the early 1800s.
Outside of the US: Teens in the parliament
In many other countries, citizens only have to reach the legal voting age (usually 18) in order to be eligible in the elections. Among the rare breed of teens elected to the national parliament are Anton Abele (pictured), voted into the Swedish parliament in 2010 at age 18, and Proscovia Alengot Oromait and Pierre-Luc Dusseault from Uganda and Canada, respectively, both elected in 2011 at age 19.