List_of_youngest_members_of_the_United_States_Congress

List of youngest members of the United States Congress

List of youngest members of the United States Congress

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The following are historical lists of the youngest members of the United States Congress, in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. These members would be the equivalent to the "Baby of the House" in the parliaments of Commonwealth countries; the U.S. Congress does not confer a similar title upon its youngest members.

Left: Jon Ossoff (D-GA), currently the youngest U.S. senator
Right: Maxwell Frost (D-FL), currently the youngest U.S. representative

The youngest U.S. congressman tends to be older than the youngest MPs in Commonwealth countries. This is partly because the minimum age requirements enumerated in Article One of the United States Constitution bar persons under the age of 25 years and 30 years from serving in the House and Senate, respectively. Additionally, the political culture of the United States encourages young politicians to gain experience in state and local offices before running for Congress. Although the vast majority of members of Congress gained state and local experience before being elected to Congress, members lacking state and local experience have increased recently.[1]

Maxwell Frost (D-FL) is the youngest member of the 118th Congress at age 27. He succeeded one-term representative Madison Cawthorn, who was the youngest person elected to the U.S. Congress since Jed Johnson Jr. in 1964.[2]

Jon Ossoff (D-GA) is the youngest sitting senator at 37,[3] replacing Josh Hawley, who at 41 was the youngest senator of the 116th Congress.[4] Ossoff is the youngest person elected to the U.S. Senate since Don Nickles in 1980.[5][6] The average age of senators is higher now than in the past.[7] In the 19th century, several state legislatures elected senators in their late twenties despite the Constitutional minimum age of 30, such as Henry Clay, who was sworn into office at age 29, and John Henry Eaton, the youngest U.S. senator in history, who took his oath of office when he was 28 years, 4 months and 29 days old.[8]

List of youngest U.S. senators

For senators elected to a regular session, the starting date is the date on which the new Congress convened. From 1789 to 1935, this is March 4 (with the previous Congress ending on March 3); from 1937 onward, this is January 3.

For senators appointed to a vacancy or elected in a special election, the starting date represents their swearing-in date.

More information Duration as youngest, Name ...

List of youngest U.S. representatives

For representatives elected to a regular session, the starting date is the date at which the new Congress convened. From 1789 to 1935, this is March 4 (with the previous Congress ending on March 3); from 1937 onward, this is January 3.

For representatives elected in a special election, the starting date represents their swearing-in date.

More information Duration as youngest, Congress ...

See also

Notes

  1. Some resources regard Gallatin only as a senator-elect because of the challenge to his credentials, hence Rutherfurd could be considered the youngest official senator during this period. Gallatin was ultimately disqualified from service.
  2. Tattnall's precise birthdate in 1762 is unknown. Since both he and Ross were born the same year, they are both credited with the designation for youngest for the period from the swearing-in of Tattnall in April 1796 until the swearing-in of Stockton in December 1796, who was younger than both.
  3. Clay was elected and served in the U.S. Senate while under the Constitutional age requirement of 30 at the age of 29 years.
  4. Whiteside's precise birth date in 1772 is unknown. Since both he and Crawford were born the same year, they are both credited with the designation for youngest for the period from the swearing-in of Whiteside in 1809 until the swearing-in of Campbell in 1810, who was younger than both.
  5. Bulloch's precise birth date in 1777 is unknown. Since both he and Horsey were born the same year, they are both credited with the designation for youngest for the three days from Bulloch's swearing-in until the swearing-in of Goldsborough, who was younger than both.
  6. Bibb was the first person to be both the youngest member of the U.S. House and the youngest senator.
  7. Also held title of youngest member of the U.S. House.
  8. Mason was elected and served in the U.S. Senate while under the Constitutional age requirement of 30 at the age of 28 years, 5 months.
  9. Eaton was elected and served in the U.S. Senate while under the Constitutional age requirement of 30. At 28 years, 4 months, he was the youngest ever to serve in that body.
  10. Bruce became the first non-white youngest senator.
  11. Beveridge and Bailey were both born on October 6, 1862.
  12. Bryan was the youngest U.S. senator to die in office, at the age of 31.
  13. Holt was the youngest popularly elected senator at 29 years and 4 months in November 1934. He was not permitted to take the oath of office until after his 30th birthday in June 1935.
  14. Long held the longest uninterrupted tenure as youngest U.S. senator, eight years and three days. He was surpassed by Nickles in overall time, but Nickles's tenure was interrupted.
  15. Biden was elected at the age of 29 years, 11 months, but turned 30 before the start of his term.
  16. Nickles served the longest period as the youngest senator, ten years, two months and eight days, though this combined tenure was interrupted by Karnes, who was six days younger, from 1987 to 1989. Long served the longest such period uninterrupted, eight years and three days.
  17. Pryor set the record as the oldest youngest senator in the body's history, at 45 years.
  18. Until about the 34th Congress and rarely after, some members did not have birth years or birthdates listed. The approximate age of those members has been attempted to be ascertained using available biographical descriptions, although some of these descriptions were very limited. If more than one member had a birth year but not birthdate listed, both have been credited with being the youngest during the period (until the next confirmed younger member was sworn-in).
  19. Claiborne was the youngest-ever elected and seated member of Congress at approximately the age of 22, despite being below the Constitutional age requirement.
  20. Also held title of youngest member of the U.S. Senate.
  21. Although Wharton was 24 at the time of the official start of the 10th Congress in March 1807, it did not convene until October 1807 after he turned 25.
  22. Indiana was not yet a state and this member was a non-voting U.S. Delegate.
  23. Although King was 24 at the time of the official start of the 12th Congress in March 1811, it did not convene until November 1811 after he turned 25.
  24. During part of the 17th Congress, credited Cook and Govan with sharing the title of youngest member. Both were born in 1794, but birthdate for Cook was unknown, so credited both.
  25. Arkansas was not yet a state and Sevier was a non-voting U.S. Delegate.
  26. Lewis and Pettis were both born in 1802, but unknown birthdate for Pettis, so credited both with youngest for the 21st Congress.
  27. Although Dickinson was 24 at the time of the official start of the 23rd Congress in March 1833, it did not convene until November 1833 after he turned 25.
  28. Otero was the first Hispanic youngest member of the U.S. House.
  29. New Mexico was not yet a state and Otero was a non-voting U.S. Delegate.
  30. Although Brown was elected at the start of the 36th Congress, being just 24 at the time of the election, he was not permitted to take his seat until the second session in December 1860 after his 25th birthday, so Jenkins retained the title of youngest until Brown's swearing-in.
  31. Noell was elected as a Republican to the 39th Congress and reelected to the 40th Congress as a Democrat.
  32. Noell was the youngest known member of Congress to die in office at 28 while holding the youngest title.
  33. Walls was the first Black youngest member of the U.S. House.
  34. Shively was elected to a vacancy in the 48th Congress as an Anti-Monopolist/Greenbacker-supported candidate. He was elected to the 50th Congress as a Democrat.
  35. As the Philippines was a territory of the U.S., Quezon was a non-voting member of Congress.
  36. Bentsen served the shortest period as the youngest member of the U.S. House at just 31 days.
  37. Perkins was elected to Congress to fill a vacancy on November 6, 1984, and was younger than titleholder Cooper, but owing to the 98th Congress having adjourned sine die, he was not sworn-in until the 99th Congress, by which time Rowland, who was younger than Perkins, claimed the title. Cooper is credited until the end of the 99th Congress as an official congressman, as opposed to a congressman-elect, but Perkins is noted due to the unusual circumstances.
  38. Rowland served the longest period as the youngest member of the U.S. House at 5 years, 2 months.
  39. Molinari was the first woman to hold the title of youngest member of the U.S. House.
  40. Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress and the first Hispanic woman to hold the title of youngest member.

References

  1. Steinhauer, Jennifer (November 11, 2010). "Many Political Newcomers Joining Congress". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  2. Thanawala, Sudhin (January 6, 2021). "Ossoff seals Democrats' sweep; will be youngest US senator". Associated Press. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  3. Bostock, Bill (January 6, 2021). "Jon Ossoff is the youngest Democrat elected to the Senate since Joe Biden in 1973". Business Insider India. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  4. Palmer, Brian (January 2, 2013). "Democracy or Gerontocracy: Is Congress getting older?". Slate.
  5. "Youngest Senator". United States Senate.

Sources: Congressional Biographical Directory and House Document No. 108-222, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774 – 2005


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