Young Republicans Are Running for House Seats in the 2026 Midterms
Joe Mitchell, 29, is the Republican nominee in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District. He is one of several young Republicans seeking seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in the November 2026 midterm elections, according to NPR.
Mitchell is a former Iowa state senator and real estate developer. He has received the endorsement of President Donald Trump. His platform calls for limiting House members to six terms and for banning stock trading by members of Congress. Mitchell said he has turned down campaign donations from corporate political action committees, the groups that collect money to back candidates.
In Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District, Republican Michael Alfonso, 26, is also running for the House. Alfonso has been endorsed by Trump. He is married to the daughter of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who held the same seat from 2011 until 2019. If elected, Alfonso would be the first person born in the 2000s to serve in Congress, NPR reported. The minimum age to serve in the House is 25.
Other young candidates are also on the ballot. Riley Owen, 28, is described by NPR as a longshot. Melat Kiros, 29, is favored to win Colorado's 1st District, according to the same report. Florida Democrat Maxwell Frost, also 29, is currently the only member of Gen Z, the generation of younger adults after millennials, serving in the House.
The races come as Republicans defend a narrow majority in the House. Reuters reported on Oct. 26 that the party is defending that majority in the midterms. A Reuters review published Oct. 7 found that two-thirds of Republican candidates in competitive House and Senate races had broken with Trump.
Republican Representative Gabe Evans won his 2024 race by less than a percentage point. In 2026, he faces Democrat Manny Rutinel, a state representative, according to Reuters.
Younger voters are also paying attention. A Williams Institute report published Nov. 1 found that Gen Z respondents said they will definitely or likely vote in the November 2026 congressional elections.
