Young voters' indignation at older leaders spurs Democratic primary challenges
As Democratic voters say their party needs to change and young voters grow more skeptical of traditional party politics, a crop of candidates in their 20s and 30s is stepping in to challenge older Democrats for their seats in Congress.
As Democratic voters say their party needs to change and young voters grow more skeptical of traditional party politics, a crop of candidates in their 20s and 30s is stepping in to challenge older Democrats for their seats in Congress.
The primary challengers stepping up against veteran Democrats in recent months are emphasizing young-voter issues and railing against the ways they feel the Democratic Party has failed — from how it’s pushed back on President Donald Trump’s early actions to addressing the rising cost of living.
Saikat Chakrabarti, a 39-year-old former chief of staff for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, launched a bid in early February for Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s House seat in California. Last month, 26-year-old social media star Kat Abughazaleh jumped into the race for veteran Illinois Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s seat. Since then, a handful of other new faces have entered the midterm arena against entrenched incumbents, with Jake Rakov, 37, challenging his old boss, Rep. Brad Sherman, in California and George Hornedo, 34, launching a challenge against nine-term Rep. Andre Carson in Indiana’s 7th District.
The local calls for change come as the party reached an all-time low in popularity in the most recent national NBC News poll, with almost two-thirds of Democrats saying they want congressional Democrats to fight rather than compromise, even at the risk of not getting things done.
Young Democratic voters interviewed by NBC News echoed these views, saying they’re “disappointed” by a lack of action from Democrats. Some said they see the party’s messaging as “redundant” and think party leaders aren’t representing the issues affecting younger generations, with the rising cost of living getting frequent mention.
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