New generation of candidates stakes claim to Democratic party’s future

We are in the early hours of Wednesday morning, 6 November 2024, and after a nail-biting night two men are preparing to give their respective victory and concession speeches in the US presidential election. One of the men is days away from his 82nd birthday, the other is 78.

The prospect of a possible rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in two years' time is instilling trepidation in both main parties. It is not just the political perils that go with either individual, it's also the simple matter of their age.

What happened to the America of the new world, the young country?

But in the wake of this week's midterm elections there is a stirring in the air. The Democratic party may remain heavily dominated by the old guard - the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, is 82 and the top senator, Chuck Schumer, is 69 - yet there are strong signs of fresh beginnings.

From the first openly lesbian governors in the US and first Black governor of Maryland, to the first Gen Z member of Congress, as well as battle-hardened young politicians in critical swing states like Michigan and Pennsylvania, a new slate of Democratic leaders is coming into view after Tuesday's elections. They may be too new to reshape the 2024 presidential race, but they carry much promise for the years to come.

"There's a generational change happening of the kind you see every few decades," said Joe Trippi, a Democratic strategist who has worked on state and congressional campaigns. "A younger generation is emerging with different ideas who aren't necessarily wedded to the old way of doing things."

It is perhaps no coincidence that several of the names garnering attention are to be found in battleground states where their political skills and resilience have been put to the test. In Michigan, which has become a frontline state in the struggle between liberal versus Maga politics, Gretchen Whitmer handily won a double-digit re-election in her gubernatorial race against Tudor Dixon, an election denier.

Whitmer, 51, proved herself not only adept at fending off election subversion misinformation in a midwestern state, but she also withstood the pressures of the kidnap plot against her which led to last month's convictions of three anti-government plotters. "After two terms as governor, Whitmer is going to be well placed for a move on to the national stage," Trippi said.

Another breeding ground for the new Democratic leaders is Pennsylvania, which has also been on the frontlines of the Maga wars. John Fetterman, 53, was widely written off by conservative pundits after his televised debate in the race for a US Senate seat with his Trump-endorsed opponent, Mehmet Oz, who had ridiculed him for his speech impediment caused by a stroke in May that almost killed him.

Fetterman survived all that opprobrium to frame a classic Pennsylvania story: his rise from small-town mayor to US senator-elect. He still has a mountain to climb in his physical recovery, but he is clearly now a fixture in national politics.

Pennsylvania has spawned other fresh Democratic faces to watch: Josh Shapiro, 49, has become the commonwealth's governor-elect, managing to mobilise voters by warning of the threat to democracy posed by his election-denying opponent.

Then there is Summer Lee, 34, the first Black woman to be sent to Congress from the state. "We fought, we built coalitions, we brought people together," she said at her victory party.

The new generation contains a striking proportion of prominent African American politicians. Record numbers of Black women and men stood for elected office in 2022, and the impact is starting to show.

The Collective Pac, which aims to increase Black representation in elected positions, endorsed 252 Black candidates across the country this cycle. It pumped more than $1m into supporting those campaigns, with 117 so far winning.

"We are seeing a new wave of everyday folks who are bringing their lived experiences to the table and becoming decision-makers in their communities by being in public office. That's here to stay," said Stefanie Brown James, The Collective's co-founder and senior adviser.

For James, one of the standout qualities of the next generation of Black leaders is that several of them are first-time candidates with no prior political experience. That goes for Wes Moore, 43, now about to become Maryland's first African American governor, a Rhodes scholar whose career has ranged from investment banker and TV producer to head of the anti-poverty non-profit the Robin Hood Foundation.

"Wes Moore, Summer Lee - they have real-world experiences that are greatly going to contribute to the dialogue around what policies are necessary to help move people forward," James said.

Some of the most eagerly followed Black politicians fell at the ballot box this week, including Stacey Abrams, 48, in Georgia's gubernatorial race and Mandela Barnes, 35, running for a US Senate seat in Wisconsin. Neither should be written off, however, given the excitement they brought to their contests and the extent to which they have transformed their states by increasing Democratic turnout.

Across the country, other stars are rising. Gavin Newsom found re-election as California's governor a breeze on Tuesday night, which bodes well as and when he decides to indulge any national ambitions.

Maura Healey in Massachusetts and Tina Kotek in Oregon will share the distinction of becoming the first openly lesbian governors of their states.

Newsom, Healey and Kotek are all in their 50s. But they had better watch their backs - a much younger cohort is on the move.

Maxwell Frost, an Afro-Cuban progressive from Florida, was elected the first Gen Z member of Congress on Tuesday night.

He is 25. Electoral law prohibits anyone running for president until they are 35 - which falls rather neatly for Frost who will turn 35 in the presidential election year of 2032.