Is There A Playbook For Young Democratic Candidates — And Does It Work?

Summary

Summary of NPR Politics Podcast Episode: "Is There A Playbook For Young Democratic Candidates — And Does It Work?" Release Date: July 22, 2025

In the July 22, 2025, episode of The NPR Politics Podcast, hosts Sarah McCammon, Elena Moore, and Domenico Montanaro delve into the rising wave of young Democratic candidates vying for congressional seats in the upcoming midterm elections. The discussion explores the motivations, strategies, successes, and challenges these young candidates face, as well as the broader implications for the Democratic Party and American politics.

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1. Introduction to Young Democratic Candidates

The episode opens with Sarah McCammon introducing the central theme: the surge of Democratic candidates under the age of 40 running for Congress. As of the episode's release, there are at least ten such candidates nationwide. McCammon asks Elena Moore to shed light on who these candidates are and what drives their campaigns.

Elena Moore (01:34):
"They're running in districts all around the country, from the Midwest, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana to Florida to California. And they have a similar pitch. The pitch is we are frustrated and tired with the longtime Democratic leaders, and we want new ones."

This dissatisfaction with established Democratic figures underscores a desire for fresh perspectives and new leadership within the party.

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2. Maxwell Frost: Breaking Ground as Gen Z's First Congressman

A focal point of the discussion is Maxwell Frost, the sole Gen Z member of Congress, elected at just 25 years old in 2020 representing a Florida district that includes Orlando. Frost's success exemplifies both the potential and the hurdles young candidates face.

Elena Moore (02:15):
"We've seen this playbook work before, but it's still a hard thing to do. And the people who have made it work are more unicorns than anything."

Frost's election is considered a rare "perfect storm," combining personal ambition with a political landscape ripe for change.

Domenico Montanaro (03:42):
"It's like a little bit of an AOC moment. That's not the norm. That's a perfect storm, and it's more of a mirror goal than it is like a replicatable strategy for most of us."

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3. Support Systems: Leaders We Deserve and David Hogg’s Role

David Hogg, former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and leader of the group Leaders We Deserve, plays a pivotal role in nurturing young Democratic talent. Hogg advocates for challenging older incumbents and promoting younger leaders within the party.

Elena Moore (05:24):
"David Hogg is the perfect example of a Gen Z progressive who has been shaped by the environment he was born into... His group is focused on really bringing in a new generation, but also kind of putting the spotlight on Democrats that he would argue have maybe gotten a little too comfortable."

Hogg's efforts highlight a generational push within the Democratic Party to infuse new energy and ideas, though not without controversy.

Domenico Montanaro (06:31):
"Leaders We Deserve says too many elected leaders in the Democratic Party are either unwilling or unable to meet the moment... Young, younger leaders simply bring a different level of urgency that we just aren't seeing in our politics right now."

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4. Challenges Facing Young Democratic Candidates

Despite the enthusiasm, young candidates encounter significant obstacles, including:

• Fundraising: Limited financial resources compared to more established candidates.
• Endorsements: Difficulty securing support from influential party figures.
• Experience: Perceived lack of political experience can hinder credibility.

Elena Moore (03:15):
"Since then, many have tried to join him other Democratic Gen Zers, and they've fallen short for a number of reasons, whether it's lack of experience, lack of big endorsements, or just fundraising."

These challenges often prevent young candidates from successfully replicating Frost's groundbreaking election.

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5. Case Study: Zoran Mamdani's Mayoral Victory in New York

Elena Moore discusses Zoran Mamdani's victory in the New York Democratic mayoral primary, where he defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo by centering his campaign on working-class issues and maintaining a strong social media presence.

Elena Moore (12:21):
"Mamdani was very, very much present on social media. He developed a brand on social media, like walking around New York. I think that his clear issue focus separated him from the competitor."

This case underscores the importance of targeted messaging and digital engagement in modern campaigns.

Domenico Montanaro (15:24):
"And I think that there are three things that we know are important in politics. Name, id, money and message."

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6. Strategies for Engaging Younger Voters

Both young Democratic and Republican candidates target younger voters by emphasizing:

• Economic Populism: Focus on affordable healthcare, housing, education, and good jobs.
• Desire for Better Futures: Messaging that appeals to aspirations beyond their parents' achievements.

Elena Moore (10:36):
"We want to make you have a better life than your parents. That's what was constantly said on the right. And we know that that did work."

However, while there is overlap in policy focuses, the underlying philosophies and approaches between the parties differ significantly, especially regarding cultural issues.

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7. Cultural vs. Economic Drivers in Voter Behavior

The conversation highlights a pivotal distinction in what motivates younger voters:

• Economic Concerns: Both parties address economic hardships but propose differing solutions.
• Cultural Issues: Increasingly, cultural factors such as social justice, climate change, and identity politics influence voting decisions.

Domenico Montanaro (11:23):
"The dividing issue is culture. And I think that we can say that over the last 10 years, culture has been far more important a political factor in determining, you know, a lot of people's votes."

This shift signifies a complex landscape where economic and cultural issues intertwine, shaping campaign strategies.

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8. The Future of the Democratic Party and Young Leadership

The rise of young candidates signals a transformative period for the Democratic Party. With younger voters less tied to traditional party loyalties, both Democrats and Republicans are in a race to solidify their appeal to this demographic.

Elena Moore (18:21):
"They have higher levels of skepticism in government... it's crunch time for them to try to cement their base of this generation."

The outcome of this generational battle will likely influence the party's direction leading up to the 2028 elections, potentially distancing from long-established figures like Trump and Biden.

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9. Conclusion: Navigating a Changing Political Landscape

The episode wraps up by emphasizing the dynamic interplay between younger candidates, voters, and the broader political environment. The success of young Democrats will depend on their ability to blend youthful energy with effective messaging, fundraising, and coalition-building.

Domenico Montanaro (17:32):
"The real key here is how they can walk together to be able to bring change and build a coalition that's 50 plus one."

Ultimately, the infusion of young leaders into the Democratic fold represents both an opportunity and a challenge, shaping the future trajectory of American politics.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Elena Moore (01:34): "They are frustrated and tired with the longtime Democratic leaders, and we want new ones."
• Elena Moore (02:15): "We've seen this playbook work before, but it's still a hard thing to do. And the people who have made it work are more unicorns than anything."
• Domenico Montanaro (03:42): "It's like a little bit of an AOC moment. That's not the norm. That's a perfect storm."
• Domenico Montanaro (06:31): "Young, younger leaders simply bring a different level of urgency that we just aren't seeing in our politics right now."
• Elena Moore (10:36): "We want to make you have a better life than your parents."
• Domenico Montanaro (11:23): "The dividing issue is culture."
• Elena Moore (18:21): "They have higher levels of skepticism in government."
• Domenico Montanaro (17:32): "The real key here is how they can walk together to be able to bring change and build a coalition that's 50 plus one."

This episode offers a comprehensive examination of the burgeoning influence of young Democrats, the strategies that underpin their campaigns, and the broader implications for the party and the nation's political future.

Transcript

[Domenico Montanaro]

This summer on Planet Money Summer School, we're learning about political economy.

[Elena Moore]

We're getting into the nitty gritty of what government does with things like trade.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Taxes, immigration and healthcare. So politics and economics, which are taught separately, they shouldn't be separated at all. I think you have to understand one to really appreciate the other.

[Elena Moore]

So what is the right amount of.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Government in our lives? Tune in to Planet Money Summer School from npr, wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, this is Sam from New York. And as a public high school teacher in the Bronx, I'm currently enjoying my summer vacation and focusing on my side hustle, playing pop songs on my saxophone in Central Park.

[Sarah McCammon]

This podcast was recorded at 1:07pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

[Elena Moore]

Fantastic.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Things may have changed by the time you hear it, but I'll still be covering Beyonce tunes and hoping to make some good tips. Enjoy the show. Oh, my God, that's awesome.

[Elena Moore]

Incredible.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I was gonna say, we cannot not have sax if he's playing. Come on show video.

[Sarah McCammon]

Hey there. It's the NPR Politics podcast. I'm Sarah McCammon. I cover politics.

[Elena Moore]

I'm Elena Moore. I cover politics, too.

[Domenico Montanaro]

And I'm Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor and correspondent.

[Sarah McCammon]

Today on the show, younger Democrats are running for office. What's their message and how's it working so far? You know, Elena, you've been following this. There are, at least, as I understand it, 10 Democratic candidates under age 40 vying for seats in Congress in next year's midterm election. How's that working? Who are they? What should we know about them?

[Elena Moore]

Yeah, I feel like I've covered young voters long enough that now I'm like, old covering young voters.

[Domenico Montanaro]

But old heads like you wouldn't really get it.

[Elena Moore]

I mean, they're running in districts all around the country, from the Midwest, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana to Florida to California. And they have a similar pitch. The pitch is we are frustrated and tired with the longtime Democratic leaders, and we want new ones. And so, you know, give us a try.

[Sarah McCammon]

And are they pitching that message mostly to other younger voters, or are they trying to argue that they, as younger voters, kind of have an insight into the experience of, like you said, the average voter that is sort of more broadly applicable.

[Elena Moore]

I think they're trying to push a message that goes past the generation and show that these generational issues are ones that other generations can connect to. And we've seen this, you know, playbook, so to speak, work before, but it's still a hard thing to do. And the people who have made it work are more unicorns than anything. You know, it's worth mentioning that there's only one Gen Z member of Congress. His name is Maxwell Frost. He represents a district in Florida that includes Orlando. And he was elected to Congress at 25 years old in 2020. Since then, many have tried to join him other Democratic gen zers, and they've fallen short for a number of reasons, whether it's lack of experience, lack of, you know, big endorsements, or just fundraising. And, and that's something that Cheyenne Hunt talked to me about. Uh, she ran for Congress in California last year and here's how she kind of described why Frost's win made sense.

[Domenico Montanaro]

It's like a little bit of an AOC moment. Like that's not the norm. That's a perfect storm, and it's more.

[Elena Moore]

Of a mirror goal than it is like a replicatable strategy for most of us. You know, she said that like Frost was able to, yes, he was hungry, he worked really hard, but he also had a, you know, field of competitors that she argued were asleep at the wheel. And you know, he was able to kind of stand out as this young progressive upstart candidate, you know, Domenico, why.

[Sarah McCammon]

Are we seeing these younger candidates now? And is this, is this a new strategy or is this just sort of a new iteration of something we've seen before?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Well, if you take a step back, I mean, someone who's 25 years old and progressive, you know, they're an infant on 9 11, they're in third grade when former President Obama won, they were sophomore in high school when Donald Trump started running for office. You're talking about 9 11, a pandemic, a financial recession. These are the things that have shaped those folks understanding of politics. And that might run counter to the context that some older people might have, depending on how they grew up and what they had seen. The 1990s, for example, was a time of some political turmoil, but then became a, you know, pretty prosperous time for the United States. And there's a little bit different context for those who lived, who grew up earlier than that. And you know, when you are born in that kind of fire, there's a little bit more of a edge that I think some of these younger progressives have in how they think that the approach to politics should be. They see some of the older Democrats as not fighting hard enough. And that's certainly a thing we've seen a lot about. And given how their youth was shaped, a lot of left wing populism on affordability, housing, student Loans, gun violence, things like that.

[Sarah McCammon]

Yeah. You know, I'm thinking specifically of people like David Hogg, the former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, who runs the group Leaders We Deserve, which is explicitly focused on building up younger candidates. He and others have talked about challenging older politicians in primary elections and bringing in young, younger leaders. What is that about?

[Elena Moore]

Yeah, I mean, to Domenico's point, David Hogg is the perfect example of a Gen Z progressive who has been shaped by the environment he was born into. I mean, this is somebody who literally survived a mass shooting. He was in high school during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas mass shooting in 2018 in Parkland, Florida. He's since become an activist, and his group is focused, he says, on really bringing in a new generation, but also kind of putting the spotlight on Democrats that he would argue have maybe gotten a little too comfortable. And they stress that that's an argument that goes past age. But Hogg at the leadership role of this group, I think, sends a really strong message of how a lot of young people who have only known political divisiveness, have only known political chaos, so to speak, on both sides of the aisle, are not afraid to push back on their party if they align with a party. And we've seen that from young Democrats. We've also seen it from young Republicans who aren't afraid to push back on conservative leaders.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah. And, you know, think about some of a little bit of what his group leaders we deserve says, you know, the first line of what they're about says too many elected leaders in the Democratic Party are either unwilling or unable to meet the moment and are asleep at the wheel while Trump is demolishing the economy, et cetera. And he says that young, younger leaders simply bring a different level of urgency that we just aren't seeing in our politics right now. And I find interesting because a lot of his messaging, I think there's a lot of Democrats who actually agree with some of the idea that you need to fight back more urgently against Trump, that affordability is a real problem in the country. I think he alienates some people with this idea that only younger people know how to do that, even though he has drawn some carve outs for some older Democrats, like people like Bernie Sanders. But if he didn't even start with talking about why youth is the necessary ingredient, it might actually find a broader audience. But I think that's the kind of thing that comes with, you know, experience on the national stage figuring out what works, what doesn't work, and, you know, who knows? I think that the Democratic Party is one that's being reshaped right now by a younger energy with a lot of progressive voters. And, you know, we've had a lot of younger voters who've moved toward Trump's side from a very different sort of polar opposite idea of culture in this country. So I think we're gonna see something very, very different start to play out over the next few years, heading into 2028, when neither Trump nor, of course, Biden are gonna be the people on the ticket.

[Elena Moore]

And we should say that Hogg's group was a bit controversial because David Hogg was a member of the Democratic National Committee's leadership. And a few months ago, he made an announcement that his se supporting Democratic primary challengers. So that was the big dividing moment here. And Hogg has since left the DNC to focus on this. And I think the last thing I'd say, Domenico, you're right. And this is a generation that may have a lot of political potential, and both sides are kind of weighing how to harness that and how to keep those voters seen.

[Sarah McCammon]

Right. And I think what happened with Hogg and the sort of pushback his strategy has received within the party is illustrative of the one of the larger divides in the Democratic Party. And it's not really a new divide, but, you know, it's sort of this perennial question of, you know, playing to the center or moving to the left. We're going to take a quick break. We'll have more in just a moment.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You're listening to NPR because you're curious. You want to know what the world is like beyond the surface. NPR feeds that curiosity with stories from real people, with real experiences and all the perspectives that come with them. It's our right to be curious and our prerogative to listen. So keep your curiosity alive. Hear the bigger picture every day on npr. At Planet Money, we know that economic jargon can sometimes feel like speaking another language.

[Elena Moore]

Yeah, like arbitrage, alpha, otarchy.

[Domenico Montanaro]

That's just what's in the news these days. There's also absolute advantage. Aggregate demand, aggregate supply.

[Sarah McCammon]

And this is just the A's.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Oh, animal spirits.

[Elena Moore]

That's a pretty good one. Planet Money from npr. We help you transform, translate the economy so you can understand the world wherever you get your podcasts.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Hey, everybody, it's Ian from How to Do Everything. On our show, we attempt to answer your how to questions. We don't know how to do anything, so we call experts. Last season, both Tom Hanks and Martha Stewart stopped by to help Our next season is launching in just a few months. So get us your questions now by emailing howtopr.org or calling 1-800-424-2935.

[Sarah McCammon]

And we're back. We've been talking about younger candidates, but I want to talk a little bit about younger voters who some of these messages are aimed toward. Alina, young Republicans were a big part of the coalition that elected President Trump. So this isn't just about young Democrats. Are there similarities between what younger Republicans and younger Democrats are looking for?

[Elena Moore]

Yeah, I think so. I think that there are a lot of overlap policy wise on some of the more populist issues of really kind of focusing on how struggling working class folks are able to get access to benefits that they feel they deserve, whether that's affordable healthcare, housing, access to good jobs, education. And I think that obviously both parties have different points of view on how to get those things, but they're pitching a similar message. And when I was out covering young Republicans in the 2024 election, the message I heard was often similar to what you hear from many of the progressives. You know, we want to make you have a better life than your parents. That's what was constantly said on the right. And we know that that did work.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You know, there's a Venn diagram clearly between this right and left on the younger side of things. We saw that in the 2016 Democratic primary between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, for example. And obviously with Donald Trump running in that election, there were between the Bernie Sanders wing of things and Donald Trump, particularly on economics. This affordability issue and anti elitism I think is also core to that, not trusting the people who came before necessarily. I think that where they divide significantly, though, is on culture. And I think that we can say that over the last 10 years, culture has been far more important a political factor in determining, you know, a lot of people's votes. I mean, I think the last election you probably saw some crossover on economics as well. But I think driving core to a lot of people's reasons for voting Republican or Democrat, the dividing issue is culture.

[Elena Moore]

I think it's going to be interesting to see how both parties try to balance those in some ways, conflicting policies. You know, we did see an example, you know, in addition to Frost, another young person who kind of recently successfully channeled a lot of these policy feelings was Zoran Mamdani in New York. You know, in the Democratic mayoral primary, he won. He beat former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was running as a moderate. Mamdani is a democratic, socialist. He's 33, he's a state representative, and his campaign was centered on working class New Yorkers. And he pushed a very economic message, despite also very openly having a ton of much more progressive cultural views. And we saw that resonate with New Yorkers. And, you know, it's an apples to orange comparison when you look at, you know, young congressional candidates at different race, different places around the country. But he ran on a similar playbook to what we're seeing. Many young, you know, candidates vying for federal office trying to emulate New York.

[Sarah McCammon]

That, of course, is a very different landscape than much of the rest of the country. I think a lot of Democrats have looked at Mamdani's success and wondered if that could be a model for Democrats going forward, especially because of the data that suggested he did turn out a lot of younger voters. Are there lessons from that race that Democrats can draw more broadly, or is there a risk that appealing to younger voters might move the party to the left to a degree that hurts Democrats in general elections?

[Elena Moore]

I feel like it gets back to the whole point of this conversation, which is that this sometimes works and it sometimes does not work. At this point, it's still pretty rare for something like Mamdani's win to happen. And so I think, yeah, Democrats have to take it with a grain of salt and really kind of zero in on the factors that made that possible. You know, New York is a very specific place. This campaign really catered to specific issues like to New Yorkers, renters, housing affordability. But at the same time, there are parts of that campaign that I think House Democrats, especially in the upcoming midterms, will try to emulate. You know, Mamdani was very, very much present on social media. He developed a brand on social media, like walking around New York. I think that his clear issue focus separated him from the competitor, which is something that not all young candidates are able to do, to break out and to get attention that way. But again, in the same way, he was also given a very, you know, in some ways helpful gift by running against someone like Cuomo, who is so different than what Mandani is pitching. So I think that Democrats are not always going to have a playing field like that where they're able to be like, look, I'm a progressive, he's a moderate. He's, you know, from the old guard, I'm from the new guard. Pick the new guard. I think often it's going to be way more messy than that, and Democrats can't bank on those specific you know, boundaries kind of shaping every race, and.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Turnout in primaries is obviously lower than in a general election. And Mamdani is going to face another test where Andrew Cuomo is now running as an independent in a general election. And I think it's really interesting because that is going to be another major hurdle to show whether or not his social media strategy, his message, all of that can continue to work even in a place like New York, which is different than the rest of the country. But I think that there are three things that we know are important in politics. Name, id, money and message. And any combination of those, depending on the audience of people that you're trying to win over, is what's going to be most important. I think there's a combination of a lot of these things that Democrats are going to take from moving forward, and they're going to have to walk this line in not alienating the people who are fired up by whether they were somebody who was more a name that people recognize, an establishment, and somebody who might be younger and trying to have a more revolutionary message.

[Sarah McCammon]

So we've been talking about the politics of younger voters, but just when it comes to sort of the nuts and bolts of turning out the electorate, is being a younger candidate necessarily an advantage?

[Elena Moore]

I think that it depends on what part of this generation you ask. I think that for someone like David Hogg, who supported Mamdani, I think some people see their political identity tied to their generational identity because it has been so shared, shaped by that. And I think for some voters, I'm sure they connect to that. At the same time, we've also seen that backfire and people, you know, get accused of being ageist. And when you look at someone like Mamdani, it gets back to this is a generation that cares about issues over party. And I think a lot of people voted for him because of his policies and his accessibility to people, rather than the fact that he was 33 years old. I think that it's a good reminder that this is always a combination. Yes, he's young. Yes, he's. He's pushing for a new guard, but he also had the right messaging for the constituency he wants to represent. And I think policy over politics is still what Gen Z is looking for.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You know, look, I mean, at the end of the day, you've got a lot of people now who are trying to get involved in politics because they understand that it's the only way to be able to change or fix the things that they think are problems, left or right. I mean, you know, where the energy is and where it's going is clearly different. And things change. And I think that that's not necessarily a bad thing for people who are older. I think that it's something that, you know, is just kind of the way things evolve and the way things change. And I think the real key here is how they can walk together to be able to bring change and build a coalition that's 50 plus one.

[Sarah McCammon]

And, you know, I think you both just alluded to something that I think is so interesting about younger voters, which is overall, they like parties a lot less than older generations. Right. Regardless of the party.

[Elena Moore]

Yeah. They have higher levels of skepticism in government. I think Trump's win shows us that this is a generation that's still up for grabs politically. And Democrats and Republicans, this is crunch time for them to try to cement their base of this generation. And, you know, we're hearing, you know, Democratic leaders who are maybe eyeing a 20, 28 kind of thing, like former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, go on these shows where he's meeting young people, where they are on these podcast, and he's talking about the fact that these voters are not, you know, solid party voters yet, but they will be soon. And both of these sides have to kind of show them that they see them and they see their issues.

[Sarah McCammon]

All right. We're going to leave it there. I'm Sarah McCammon. I cover politics.

[Elena Moore]

I'm Elena Moore. I also cover politics.

[Domenico Montanaro]

And I'm Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor and correspondent.

[Sarah McCammon]

And thank you for listening to the NPR Politics podcast. Congress has approved a White House request to eliminate federal funding for public media. NPR remains committed to our mission of informing the public, increasing your understanding of the world and enriching everyday life. But without federal funding, we are relying on your support now more than ever. Please give [e-mail] this summer, ditch land with Shortwave's sea camp, because when's the.

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