Generation Z and young voters help redefine US politics after midterms
The outcome of the 2026 US midterm elections has marked a historic shift in American politics, with diverse candidates winning office and the first Generation Z woman elected to Congress. Of the 117 Generation Z candidates who ran for Congress this year, 24 won their primaries and made it to Tuesday’s ballot, according to the organisation Future Caucus. Among them was Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old Ethiopian-born democratic socialist from Colorado, who became the first Gen Z woman elected to Congress. Kiros, a lawyer turned doctoral student, won a stunning primary victory earlier this year, with the first-time candidate beating 30-year incumbent Representative Diana DeGette in the Denver-area seat.
