From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

List of youngest members of the United States Congress

none

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.

Right: Maxwell Frost, age , 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.

Maxwell Frost is the youngest member of the 119th Congress at age . He succeeded one-term representative Madison Cawthorn, who was the youngest person elected to the U.S. Congress since Jed Johnson Jr. in 1964, the second-youngest congressman in United States history.

Jon Ossoff is the youngest sitting senator at , replacing Josh Hawley, who had been the youngest senator of the 116th Congress at age 41. Ossoff is the youngest person elected to the U.S. Senate since Don Nickles in 1980. The average age of senators is higher now than in the past. 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 old.

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.

Duration as youngest	Name	State	Start age	End age
– July 25, 1789	James Gunn	GA
– December 6, 1790	Rufus King	NY
– March 4, 1791	James Monroe	VA
– December 2, 1793	John Rutherfurd	NJ
– February 28, 1794	Albert Gallatin	PA
– April 24, 1794	John Rutherfurd	NJ
– December 6, 1796	James Ross	PA
– December 6, 1796	Josiah Tattnall	GA
– November 22, 1797	Richard Stockton	NJ
– April 1, 1798	Andrew Jackson	TN
– February 4, 1799	Ray Greene	RI
– March 3, 1801	William Wells	DE
– October 17, 1803	Samuel White	DE
– December 29, 1806	Thomas Worthington	OH
– March 4, 1807	Henry Clay	KY
– September 1807	James Fenner	RI
– December 9, 1807	Samuel White	DE
– January 12, 1810	William Crawford	GA
– January 12, 1810	Jenkin Whiteside	TN
– March 3, 1813	Alexander Campbell	OH
– May 27, 1813	Outerbridge Horsey	DE
– May 27, 1813	William Bulloch	GA
– December 6, 1813	Robert Goldsborough	MD
– April 9, 1814	William Bibb	GA
– February 2, 1815	Jesse Wharton	TN
– January 22, 1816	William Barry	KY
– March 3, 1817	Armistead Mason	VA
– November 16, 1818	John Crittenden	KY
– March 3, 1821	John Eaton	TN
– December 3, 1821	Samuel Southard	NJ
– March 3, 1823	John Eaton	TN
– March 3, 1825	Robert Hayne	SC
– March 3, 1829	Elias Kane	IL
– December 16, 1833	John Clayton	DE
– December 31, 1833	Lewis Linn	MO
– March 3, 1835	John King	GA
– December 5, 1836	Robert Walker	MS
– February 2, 1837	Ambrose Sevier	AR
– March 3, 1837	Alexandre Mouton	LA
– January 11, 1841	Franklin Pierce	NH
– February 7, 1842	Alfred Nicholson	TN
– February 28, 1842	Franklin Pierce	NH
– March 1, 1842	Alexandre Mouton	LA
– April 14, 1842	William Graham	NC
– July 6, 1842	Charles Conrad	LA
– March 3, 1843	William Dayton	NJ
– December 4, 1843	Ned Hannegan	IN
– March 3, 1845	David Atchison	MO
– March 3, 1847	Jesse Bright	IN
– June 26, 1848	Stephen Douglas	IL
– December 14, 1853	Isaac Walker	WI
– March 3, 1855	Clement Clay	AL
– March 5, 1860	George Pugh	OH
– January 22, 1863	Milton Latham	CA
– March 3, 1863	David Turpie	IN
– June 23, 1868	William Sprague	RI
– June 30, 1868	Alexander McDonald	AR
– July 25, 1868	Thomas Osborn	FL
– March 3, 1873	George Spencer	AL
– March 3, 1879	Stephen Dorsey	AR
– March 3, 1881	Blanche Bruce	MS
– October 11, 1881	Arthur Gorman	MD
– March 3, 1883	Nelson Aldrich	RI
– December 2, 1889	John Kenna	WV
– March 3, 1891	Richard Pettigrew	SD
– January 24, 1895	John Irby	SC
– March 3, 1895	Jeter Pritchard	NC
– March 3, 1901	Marion Butler	NC
– March 3, 1905	Albert Beveridge	IN
Joseph W. Bailey	TX
– January 30, 1907	Elmer Burkett	NE
– March 3, 1907	Frederick Mulkey	OR
– December 11, 1907	Simon Guggenheim	CO
– December 26, 1907	Thomas Gore	OK
– March 22, 1908	William Bryan	FL
– January 9, 1911	Thomas Gore	OK
– January 31, 1911	Davis Elkins	WV
– March 3, 1911	Thomas Gore	OK
– March 3, 1917	Luke Lea	TN
– July 8, 1918	Peter Gerry	RI
– November 5, 1918	Christie Benet	SC
– March 3, 1919	Peter Gerry	RI
– March 3, 1923	Pat Harrison	MS
– March 3, 1925	Clarence Dill	WA
– December 7, 1925	Sam Bratton	NM
– January 12, 1933	Bob La Follette Jr.	WI
– June 21, 1935	Richard Russell	GA
– October 17, 1940	Rush Holt	WV
– December 12, 1940	Joseph Ball	MN
– December 6, 1942	Berkeley Bunker	NV
– January 3, 1943	Henry Lodge	MA
– November 14, 1944	Joseph Ball	MN
– January 3, 1945	William Jenner	IN
– January 18, 1945	Joseph Ball	MN
– August 26, 1945	Hugh Mitchell	WA
– January 3, 1947	William Knowland	CA
– December 31, 1948	Joseph McCarthy	WI
– January 3, 1957	Russell Long	LA
– June 15, 1961	Frank Church	ID
– December 7, 1961	John Tower	TX
– November 6, 1962	Moe Murphy	NH
– January 3, 1969	Ted Kennedy	MA
– January 2, 1971	Bob Packwood	OR
– January 3, 1973	John Tunney	CA
– January 3, 1979	Joe Biden	DE
– January 3, 1981	Bill Bradley	NJ
– March 11, 1987	Don Nickles	OK
– January 3, 1989	David Karnes	NE
– January 3, 1993	Don Nickles	OK
– January 3, 1995	Russ Feingold	WI
– January 3, 1999	Rick Santorum	PA
– January 3, 2003	Peter Fitzgerald	IL
– January 3, 2009	John Sununu	NH
– January 22, 2009	Mark Pryor	AR
– January 27, 2009	Michael Bennet	CO
– September 10, 2009	Kirsten Gillibrand	NY
– July 20, 2010	George LeMieux	FL
– November 15, 2010	Carte Goodwin	WV
– January 3, 2011	George LeMieux	FL
– December 26, 2012	Mike Lee	UT
– January 3, 2013	Brian Schatz	HI
– January 3, 2015	Chris Murphy	CT
– January 3, 2019	Tom Cotton	AR
– January 20, 2021	Josh Hawley	MO
– present	Jon Ossoff	GA	****	******

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.

Duration as youngest	Congress	Name	District	Party	Start age	End age
– April 19, 1790		Richard Lee	VA-04
– March 3, 1793	–	John Steele	NC-04, 01
– March 3, 1795		Francis Preston	VA-04
– May 5, 1796		Nathaniel Freeman	MA-05
– March 3, 1797		Richard Sprigg	MD-02
– November 23, 1797		John Dennis	MD-08
– March 3, 1801	–	William Claiborne	TN-AL
– December 6, 1802		John Stanly	NC-10
– March 3, 1803		Samuel Thatcher	MA-12
– March 4, 1805	–	John Jackson	VA-01
– December 1, 1806		John Claiborne	VA-17
– January 26, 1807		William Burwell	VA-13
– March 3, 1807		William Bibb	GA-AL
– March 3, 1809		Jesse Wharton	TN-03
– November 27, 1809		William Bibb	GA-AL
– March 3, 1811		Jonathan Jennings	IN-AL
– November 4, 1811		William King	NC-05
– March 3, 1815	–	Stevenson Archer	MD-06
– December 17, 1816		Richard Wilde	GA-AL
– March 3, 1817		John Tyler	VA-23
– December 4, 1818		George Robertson	KY-07
– March 3, 1819		John McLean	IL-AL
– March 3, 1823	–	Daniel Cook	IL-AL
– March 3, 1823	**	Andrew Govan	SC-04		**	**
– March 3, 1825		Thomas Moore	KY-07
– March 3, 1827		John Bryan	NC-04
– February 13, 1828		William Nuckolls	SC-07
– March 3, 1829		Ambrose Sevier	AR-AL
– March 3, 1831		Dixon Lewis	AL-03
Spencer Pettis	MO-AL		**	**
– March 3, 1833		Albert Hawes	KY-11
– March 3, 1835		David Dickinson	TN-08
– March 3, 1837		John Claiborne	MS-AL
– March 3, 1839		Joseph Williams	TN-03
– March 3, 1841		Albert Brown	MS-AL
– March 3, 1843		John Mason	MD-06
– March 3, 1845		Alexander Ramsey	PA-14
– March 3, 1847		Lucien Chase	TN-09
– March 3, 1849		Richard Donnell	NC-08
– March 3, 1851		James Orr	SC-02
– March 3, 1853		William Churchwell	TN-03
– March 3, 1855		Milton Latham	CA-AL
– July 23, 1856		William Cumback	IN-04
– March 3, 1857		Miguel Otero	NM-AL
– December 3, 1860	–	Albert Jenkins	VA-11
– March 3, 1861		John Brown	KY-05
– January 13, 1862		Edward McPherson	PA-17
– March 3, 1863		Andrew Clements	TN-04
– March 3, 1865		John McBride	OR-AL
– March 3, 1867		Thomas Noell	MO-03
– October 3, 1867		Thomas Noell	MO-03
– June 24, 1868		Charles Haight	NJ-02
– March 3, 1869		Logan Roots	AR-01
– March 31, 1870		Clinton Cobb	NC-01
– March 3, 1871		John Conner	TX-02
– January 29, 1873		Josiah Walls	FL-AL
– March 3, 1873		John Conner	TX-02
– March 3, 1875		John Smith	VA-03
– March 3, 1877		John White	KY-09
– February 20, 1878		John Kenna	WV-03
– March 3, 1879		Joseph Acklen	LA-03
– March 3, 1881		Richard Frost	MO-03
– March 3, 1883		Henry Dugro	NY-07
– December 1, 1884		George Post	PA-15
– March 3, 1885		Benjamin Shively	IN-13
– February 2, 1887		Bob La Follette	WI-03
– March 3, 1887		Hugh Price	WI-08
– March 3, 1889		Benjamin Shively	IN-13
– December 9, 1889		Thomas Magner	NY-05
– March 3, 1891		Charles Turner	NY-06
– May 5, 1892		Joseph W. Bailey	TX-05
– March 3, 1893		Joseph Kendall	KY-10
– March 3, 1895		Thomas Settle	NC-05
– December 19, 1896		Norman Mozley	MO-14
– March 3, 1897		Charles Crisp	GA-03
– March 3, 1899		Thomas Bradley	NY-09
– March 3, 1901		John Fitzgerald	NY-02
– March 3, 1903		John Feely	IL-02
– March 3, 1905		Burton French	ID-AL
– March 3, 1907		Anthony Michalek	IL-05
– March 3, 1909		Harry Wolf	MD-03
– November 23, 1909		Charles Edwards	GA-01
– March 3, 1911		Manuel Quezon	PH-AL
– June 2, 1911		James Byrnes	SC-02
– March 3, 1913		William Reyburn	PA-02
– December 7, 1914		Clyde Kelly	PA-30
– March 3, 1915		Carl Vinson	GA-10
– March 3, 1917		Thomas Miller	DA-AL
– August 10, 1917		Marvin Jones	TX-13
– August 19, 1919	–	John Baer	ND-01
– December 6, 1920		King Swope	KY-08
– March 3, 1921		Clarence McLeod	MI-13
– March 3, 1923		Thomas Ryan	NY-15
– March 3, 1925		Clarence McLeod	MI-13
– March 3, 1927		Samuel Montgomery	OK-01
– March 3, 1929		George Combs	MO-05
– March 7, 1932	–	Fred Hartley	NJ-08
– March 3, 1933		Carlton Mobley	GA-06
– January 3, 1935		Joseph Monaghan	MT-01
– January 3, 1937		Elmer Ryan	MN-02
– January 3, 1939		Jerry O'Connell	MT-01
– January 3, 1941		Lindley Beckworth	TX-03
– January 3, 1943		William Stratton	IL-AL
– January 21, 1943		Lindley Beckworth	TX-03
– January 3, 1947	–	Marion T. Bennett	MO-06
– December 4, 1948		George Sarbacher	PA-05
– January 3, 1949		Lloyd Bentsen	TX-15
– January 3, 1951		Hugo Sims	SC-02
– January 3, 1953		Patrick Hillings	CA-12
– January 3, 1955		William Wampler	VA-09
– December 13, 1955		Kenneth Gray	IL-25
– January 3, 1959	–	John Dingell	MI-15
– January 3, 1961		Dan Rostenkowski	IL-08
– January 3, 1963		Ralph Harding	ID-02
– May 12, 1964		Ed Foreman	TX-16
– January 3, 1965		William Green	PA-05
– January 3, 1967		Jed Johnson	OK-06
– April 3, 1969	–	William Green	PA-05
– November 16, 1970		Dave Obey	WI-07
– January 3, 1971		Robert Steele	CT-02
– April 29, 1971		Dawson Mathis	GA-02
– October 12, 1972		Mendel Davis	SC-01
– January 3, 1975	–	John Breaux	LA-07
– January 3, 1977		Thomas Downey	NY-02
– January 3, 1979		Nick Rahall	WV-04
– January 3, 1981		James Shannon	MA-05
– January 3, 1983		John LeBoutillier	NY-06
– January 3, 1985		Jim Cooper	TN-04
– January 3, 1985		Carl Perkins	KY-07
– March 20, 1990	–	John Rowland	CT-05
– January 3, 1991		Susan Molinari	NY-14
– January 3, 1993		Jim Nussle	IA-02
– January 3, 1995		Cleo Fields	LA-04
– January 3, 1997		Patrick Kennedy	RI-01
– January 3, 2001	–	Harold Ford Jr.	TN-09
– January 3, 2005	–	Adam Putnam	FL-12
– January 3, 2009	–	Patrick McHenry	NC-10
– January 3, 2013	–	Aaron Schock	IL-18
– January 3, 2015		Patrick Murphy	FL-18
– January 3, 2019	–	Elise Stefanik	NY-21
– January 3, 2021		Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez	NY-14
– January 3, 2023		Madison Cawthorn	NC-11
– present	–	Maxwell Frost	FL-10		****	******

Notes

References

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

References

Steinhauer, Jennifer. (November 11, 2010). "Many Political Newcomers Joining Congress". The New York Times.
"America's youngest Congressman: What Maxwell Frost is most looking forward to". MSNBC.
Thanawala, Sudhin. (January 6, 2021). "Ossoff seals Democrats' sweep; will be youngest US senator". Associated Press.
[https://fox2now.com/2018/11/07/republican-josh-hawley-unseats-democratic-mccaskill-in-u-s-senate-battle/ Republican Josh Hawley unseats Democratic McCaskill in U.S. Senate battle]. Fox News.
Rogers, Alex. (November 7, 2018). "Democrats to take Senate as Ossoff wins runoff, CNN projects". CNN.
Bostock, Bill. (January 6, 2021). "Jon Ossoff is the youngest Democrat elected to the Senate since Joe Biden in 1973". Business Insider India.
Palmer, Brian. (January 2, 2013). "Democracy or Gerontocracy: Is Congress getting older?". Slate.
"Youngest Senator". United States Senate.

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

lists-of-united-states-representatives lists-of-the-youngest-people lists-of-united-states-senators lists-of-members-of-the-united-states-congress youth-politics

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about List of youngest members of the United States Congress — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report