Young Democratic primary challengers seek to oust longtime House members — but they say it’s not about age

As the Democratic Party takes stock of the first 100 days of the Trump administration and the upcoming 2026 midterm elections — where the party aims to take back control of the U.S. House of Representatives – a slate of political newcomers are challenging longtime incumbents and calling for generational change within the party.

The challenges come amid a broader debate among Democrats over how to respond to the Trump administration and reach voters after its bruising losses in 2024, and if the party needs younger leaders to revitalize it or whether Democrats should avoid the risk of infighting.

The debate was supercharged in recent weeks when Leaders We Deserve, a political organization led by Democratic National Committee Vice Chairman David Hogg, the Parkland school shooting survivor and gun-control activistannounced that it will spend $20 million to help elect younger leaders — including primary challengers to House Democrats who are in safe Democratic seats.

The group has not yet announced who it is supporting.

“Given the loss that we had last cycle, a lot of people have expressed their frustration with our leadership,” Tamia Booker, a veteran Democratic strategist, told ABC News. “I think what we’re seeing now is the ramification of that, where people are deciding to run themselves because they believe that they’re more effective leaders.”

Jake Rakov, 37, is a primary challenger taking on his former boss — Rep. Brad Sherman, a Democrat who represents California’s 32nd District.

“I’m running because we do need a new generation of Democrats to step up if we want anything to change in Washington; we cannot keep sending the same both decade after decade, and expecting things to change,” Rakov told ABC News in an interview.

Rakov worked for Sherman as a deputy communications director in 2017 and since then worked in Los Angeles politics and some campaigns.

But he slammed Sherman as ineffective, adding, “He likes to brag about seniority. He has been passed over for leadership positions on his committees … Seniority doesn’t matter if no one is willing to work with you.”

Sherman, in an interview with ABC News, pointed to his position as a ranking member on the House Financial Subcommittee on Capital Markets, and that other experienced members also often get passed over for leadership positions.

But Rakov is not attacking Sherman on policy. Instead, he said, “I think there is enough of that want of generational change,” adding that it is not about age but about people wanting their members of Congress “to be accessible and accountable and to actually meet voters where they are emotionally.”

Sherman, speaking to ABC News, dismissed Rakov — who he indicated had not worked with him directly — as one of an expected number of challengers.

“I always have lots of opponents and I usually win by a huge margin,” Sherman said.

More generally, Sherman sounded a skeptical note on the efforts to primary incumbents more generally.

“I see these efforts to turn the Democratic Party into a circular firing squad … It’s very difficult to see how their efforts will help us win the 2026 elections. What it means is that we waste a lot of money in the primaries,” he said.

In Indiana’s 7th Congressional District, which includes much of Indianapolis, George Hornedo, a 34-year-old alum of the Obama administration and Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign, is challenging incumbent Democratic Rep. André Carson. Hornedo alleges that Carson, 50, who was first elected to the House in 2008, has not delivered for the district.

“I’m running because my community here in Indianapolis is still waiting for everything from safer streets to affordable housing to, really, just real leadership,” Hornedo told ABC News. “After nearly 20 years in Congress, it’s clear that Congressman Carson is just holding the seat but not actually doing anything with it.”

But Hornedo does not think the divide is simply about age or time in office. The split, he said, is between members “like Congressman Carson” who think the current institutions in place are working for people, “versus those like myself that acknowledge that, of course, we have to try and protect what we currently have, but we also have to acknowledge that President Trump and Elon Musk are actively dismantling government day in and day out.”

Carson told ABC News he welcomes new voices but thinks that Democrats need to work together under a common goal — and he pushed back against Hornedo’s claims.

Carson pointed to the bills he’s worked on that have been signed into law, as well as his work across the aisle with Republicans and the federal funding he has delivered to Indianapolis as testament to his effectiveness.

But Carson also believes his own background makes him a nontraditional member of Congress already: “I think I’m one of the few members of Congress that have ever lived in a homeless shelter … along with my grandmother, I was raised by the community. I was raised by the village, and so I’m always sensitive to the needs of the downtrodden and the less fortunate.”

In nearby Illinois, Kat Abughazaleh, 26, a former reporter and researcher with a large social media following, announced in March that she would run for Congress in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District — currently represented by Rep. Jan Schakowsky, 80, who has not yet announced if she will run for reelection.

Abughazaleh has had some early success on the fundraising front, raising more than $375,000 in the first week of her campaign, according to Federal Election Commission filings. She outraised what Schakowsky fundraised in the entire first quarter.

Abughazaleh is quick to emphasize that her run is not a “vendetta” against the incumbent — but she says the Democratic Party is discouraging primaries and critiques in general.

“It’s time for new ideas. If what we were doing was working, then we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place,” Abughazaleh told ABC News.

Abughazaleh pointed to her own life experiences that dovetail with what younger generations are experiencing — as someone from a generation dealing with school shooting drills, out-of-pocket medical costs, and spending most of her income on rent — as differentiating herself from longtime members.

In a statement to ABC News, Schakowsky said she will decide on her own plans “soon, but if I do indeed decide to retire, there are dozens of talented leaders, advocates, and organizers in the 9th Congressional District who know our community and who are ready to lead the charge as we fight back against the extreme MAGA regime and Trump’s shameful policies.”

She also said she has “always encouraged more participation in the democratic process.”

On Wednesday, she posted on X that she still had not yet made a decision about running.

In Georgia, Everton Blair, 32, grew up in the Peach State’s 13th Congressional District, which spans the eastern metro Atlanta area. He made history as the youngest, first Black, and first openly gay person elected to the Gwinnett County Board of Education, where he went on to serve as chair.

Blair is now setting his sights on his next role in public office.

“I’m running because District 13, my home turf, deserves better leadership. And I think we learned a very important lesson in November and we need to respond immediately to the chaos of this administration with stronger, more competent and forceful leadership,” Blair told ABC News in an interview.

Incumbent Rep. David Scott has held the seat for 22 years, following a career in the Georgia General Assembly. Blair argues that Georgia’s 13th Congressional District needs a leader who is “agile and present” — qualities he no longer sees in Scott.

“When somebody’s served in elected office for over 50 years, there comes a time where you have to ask when you’re actually ready to prepare the next generation of leadership.”

Spokespeople for Scott did not respond to a request for comment.

Across the country on the West Coast, Saikat Chakrabarti, 39, is mounting a primary campaign against one of the Democratic Party’s most prominent figures — Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who has represented California’s 11th District for around 38 years.

A former Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur and founding engineer of the online payment platform Stripe, Chakrabarti got his start in politics working on Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign.

Asked why he believes he can unseat a party heavyweight, Chakrabarti told ABC News he’s done it before. He served as campaign manager for Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez during her 2018 upset victory over Democratic incumbent Joe Crowley.

Chakrabarti sees echoes of 2018 in 2025: a post-Trump election environment marked by frustration among Democrats over their party’s defeat.

“That moment of change, in my opinion, is dwarfed by the moment of change you see right now. The level of anger at the Democratic Party for failing is huge,” Chakrabarti said.

Chakrabarti added that those who want to stand up to Trump should also have the courage to stand up to members of their own party, including Pelosi, 85.

“The one thing we know is if we go into 2028 with the party being what it is right now, we’re in trouble,” Chakrabarti said.

Pelosi’s office declined a request for comment.

Booker, the strategist, told ABC News that the younger candidates generally will have the challenge of building up name recognition among voters — who may already have strong connections to the incumbents.

“As humans, we are very connected to who our person is. A lot of these members that have been in these seats a long time also have deep relationships, and they also have a lot of money, and those deep relationships also extend to the donors,” she said.

“So while I’m all about supporting young people to run, they have to be thoughtful … so they can actually have a well-oiled campaign, because otherwise they’re going to be, yes, a challenger, but they’re not going to be able to be successful in these runs for office.”