Maxwell Frost has won his bid for the U.S. House of Representatives. The Orlando activist will be the youngest member of Congress and the first Congressman who is a member of Generation Z.
The Associated Press called the race for Frost quickly, with Frost carrying nearly 60% of the vote.
Frost beat out opponents in a Democratic primary for the seat that had belonged to Rep. Val Demings. Demings vacated the seat to challenge Marco Rubio for one of Florida's Senate seats. The district has been a blue stronghold since it was redrawn last decade, with Demings handily winning every contest she ran in.
The 25-year-old activist has progressive views compared to the inhabitants of the U.S. Capitol building, but they're nothing remarkable among his own age cohort. Frost believes in gun control, action on climate change, criminal justice reform, strengthening labor protections and enhanced transit options for Orlando.
As our own election guide explained:
"There's been a lot written about how the so-called 'gerontocracy' in higher office needs to go. Well, Florida: Now you've got your chance with firebrand Gen-Z candidate Maxwell Frost... Frost's youthful energy and unabashed progressive views on everything from the environment to gun control are a breath of fresh air in Florida politics."
