Congress gets a new class of lawmakers – on a wild first day
After months, or in some cases years, of planning, fundraising, and campaigning, 74 brand-new members of Congress are beginning their first terms. And if the chaos surrounding the House speaker vote today was any indication, they may be in for a bumpy ride.
The freshman class of the 118th Congress, which was waiting to be sworn in amid the speakership drama, has already made history on a number of fronts. They hail from more than 30 states and represent urban, suburban, and rural areas. They are the youngest class in recent history, with an average age below 50 – including the first representative from Generation Z, Florida Democrat Maxwell Frost. The number of women in the House remains roughly the same, but several newcomers mark firsts: Democrat Becca Balint is the first female representative from Vermont; Democrat Summer Lee is the first Black congresswoman to represent Pennsylvania; and Colorado, Illinois, and Oregon have their first-ever Latina representatives.
Following a midterm election where Democrats performed
