Exclusive: Youngest member of Congress to make Pa. college tour

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On Saturday, U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost of Florida is visiting Philly to campaign for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her choice for vice president, Tim Walz. The Democrat is expected to appear at area universities as part of the Harris-Walz campaign’s back-to-school effort to mobilize young voters in five key battleground states.

“Young voters know the impact that this election will have on their futures, from the freedom to make our own health care decisions to addressing the climate crisis to being safe from gun violence to our ability to find a home and pay the rent,” Frost said in a statement at the launch of his tour.

Several state and local Democrats will campaign with Frost, including Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton, Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party State Sen. Sharif Street, State Rep. Jordan Harris, Mayor of State College Ezra Nunes, and Philadelphia Councilmembers Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Jaime Gauthier, Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke.

Recent polling finds Harris already holds a significant advantage among younger voters. An InsiderAdvantage poll showed 45% of voters under 40 support her candidacy, compared to 35% who plan to vote for the Republican candidate, Donald Trump. However, with 14% still undecided, they are the most persuadable age group. By contrast, only 2% to 3% of older voters remain undecided.

Younger voters are also the least excited about their choices, with 30% expressing that while they intend to vote, they are not particularly enthusiastic about doing so. Frost — who identifies as Afro-Latino and speaks Spanish — may also help Democrats as they attempt to engage with Hispanic voters, another demographic seen as largely “up for grabs.”

Frost, who addressed the Democratic National Convention last week, was elected in 2022 at 25, marking him as the first “Gen Z” member of Congress. Pew Research Center defines “Gen Z” as the generation born from 1997 to 2021.

Before his election, he served as National Organizing Director for March for Our Lives — an advocacy group formed by victims of the 2016 high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, which tackles gun violence.

However, for his speech at the convention last week, Frost focused on climate change, another priority issue for Gen Z voters.

“This election is about every drop of water that we consume and every breath we breathe,” he told the audience. “Fighting the climate crisis is patriotic.”