Maxwell Frost Could Become The First Gen Z Congressional Leader

Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) on Wednesday announced he is running to become co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. If elected, he would be the first Gen Z member to serve in a congressional leadership role.

The panel is responsible for crafting and promoting a messaging strategy that communicates the priorities of House Democrats.

Frost launched his bid after it became clear Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) wouldn’t seek reelection as one of the co-chairs. Meanwhile, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) is running against Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) to be chair of the committee.

In a letter addressed to his Democratic colleagues, first reported by Axios, Frost, who became the first Gen Z member of Congress after winning his 2022 race, expressed confidence that he knows what the party has to do to effectively communicate its vision for the future to Americans across the country.

“I plan to bring one of the founding principles of my office to the entire caucus — the idea that to be effective communicators we must try to bridge the divide between cool and consciousness and cede no form of communication to our Republican counterparts,” he said. “That we should seek to not use culture, but be a part of it and mold it ourselves.”

Frost, 27, laid out a three-point plan as part of his campaign for the role, including a pitch to create a digital media booking program that would enable members to connect with nontraditional media like content creators and artists.

“This election has highlighted just how important it is to not only combat the conservative echo-chamber of digital platforms but to create our own in order to advance our message and your priorities,” Frost said.

Frost also said he could offer constituents training and production guidance on how to host events that serve as an effective platform for outreach to the community, citing his experience in producing major music festivals and his work serving as a former presidential campaign advance staffer and site lead.

The Gen Z congressman also pledged to plan workshops to assist members to create their brand and come up with their own style and writing guide.

“Good branding can be simple and easy to create while making all the difference in how your constituents view you and our messaging as a whole,” he said.

Republicans are projected to retain control of the House as they are on track to win a majority of seats in the lower chamber in this election. The GOP also flipped the Senate as they celebrated President-elect Donald Trump’s victory.