Democrat Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a 25-year-old gun reform and social justice activist, became the first member of Generation Z to win a seat in Congress. Frost defeated Republican Calvin Wimbish for a Florida U.S. House seat.
Frost is a former March For Our Lives organizer seeking stricter gun control laws and has stressed opposition to restrictions on abortion rights. Generation Z generally refers to those born between the late 1990s to early 2010s. To become a member of Congress, candidates must be at least 25 years old.
Frost ran in a heavily blue Orlando-area district being relinquished by Democratic Rep. Val Demings, who challenged Republican Sen. Marco Rubio this year.
Wimbish is a 72-year-old former Army Green Beret who called himself a “Christian, conservative, constitutionalist” candidate for office.
Frost is among at least six newcomers to the U.S. House of Representatives in Tuesday’s vote from Florida.
On his website, Frost detailed his Cuban heritage, noting his mother put him up for adoption after she was “caught in a cycle of drugs, crime and violence while pregnant” without health care. He also wrote about experiencing “police abuse firsthand” and gun violence in his community, while highlighting his activism work around voting, abortion and guns.
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“Don't count out young people. Don't count us out just because we're young," Frost said after winning the primary election in August. "When young people have the resources, training that they need and support, they can really flourish."
