#GenZ #GenX #YoungAdults #elections #RunningForOffice #FutureLeaders
The ominous headline reads: “No one’s coming to save us.”
One might think the story was about disaster victims.
But, The New York Times story by Emma Schartz and Pooja Salhotra is about Gen Z folks (young adults) who are running for political office and, in many cases, winning. They are beating, in many cases, much older opponents.
The article was also published July 1, 2026, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The point of the story is that since growing up through the COVID-19 pandemic, these young folks are finding that the government, usually run by much older people, is not working for them.
Therefore, they are taking matters into their own hands.
Another interesting point in the article is that they are not all of the same political persuasion. There are Charlie Kirk conservatives and Democratic Socialists in this mix.
If you are older, perhaps the age of their parents or grandparents, do you feel threatened by these young folks taking over?
If so, relax. This is a good thing.
We’ve been hearing a lot about youth and their mental health recently. Some older folks are scratching their heads, because they believe the kids never had it so good. But, in fact, this is the first generation not expected to do as well as their parents financially and, perhaps, otherwise.
With artificial intelligence either already here or on the horizon, their future looks even more uncertain.
Their regular use of devices is not helping in many cases. We need kids to be technologically literate. We need innovators to innovate. But, for some, online addiction and bullying are real issues. We need them to interact more with people live, rather than through a device.
When kids go through what they are going through, or have gone through, it’s really good that many of them are stepping up to control not only their own lives, but to help others.
Their elders, rather than fearing this phenomenon, should instead go quietly into retirement and let the kids take over.
Certainly, kids don’t always adopt the same attitudes, viewpoints and worldview of their elders.
But, that is part of maturing. It’s part of becoming an adult. It’s part of becoming less dependent on mom and dad.
Of course, there are those who can’t seem to find their way out of their parents’ basements.
But, this article makes it clear that there are future leaders out there, like James Thibault. He’s running for re-election as a Republican state representative in New Hampshire at age 20.
And, Melat Kiros, 29. She’s already beaten 15-term Democratic incumbent Diana DeGette, 68, for a Colorado congressional seat nomination.
If you have a Gen Zer, or young Gen Xer in your family who is not satisfied with the way things are going for them, refer the Times article to them.
Providing they don’t have a disability – or, even if they do – they, too, can take matters into their own hands. They CAN run for something.
Feel free to help them as needed, but also cut them enough slack to make their own decisions about who they want to be.
Yes, indeed, as the movie title says, “The Kids Are All Right.”
Peter