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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, currently the youngest U.S. senator
Right: Maxwell Frost, currently the youngest U.S. representative
Right: Maxwell Frost, 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 is the youngest member of the 118th Congress at age 28. 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.[2]
Jon Ossoff is the youngest sitting senator at 38,[3] replacing Josh Hawley, who had been the youngest senator of the 116th Congress at age 41.[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]
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List of youngest U.S. senators
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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.
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List of youngest U.S. representatives
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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.
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See also
Notes
- 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).
- 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.
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References
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