25-year-old Karoline Leavitt becomes first Republican Gen Z congressional nominee after winning New Hampshire primary
Generation Z now has two candidates with a chance of heading to Congress. On Tuesday, 25-year-old Karoline Leavitt won the Republican nomination in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District, CBS News projected, propelling her to face off against Democratic incumbent Rep. Chris Pappas in November.
"We were outspent, but we were NOT outworked," Leavitt tweeted after her victory. "Thank you to the people of my home district for believing in me! I am humbled by the outpouring of support. ... Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, the work continues."
VICTORY! ✅
— Karoline Leavitt (@kleavittnh) September 14, 2022
We were outspent, but we were NOT outworked. Thank you to the people of my home district for believing in me! I am humbled by the outpouring of support and honored to be your #NH01 Republican Nominee.
Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, the work continues.
Leavitt's projected win comes less than a month after Gen Z got its first member past the primaries. In August, Florida Democrat Maxwell Frost won a crowded primary in Florida's 10th Congressional District. The 25-year-old is set to run against Republican Calvin Wimbish in November in the heavily Democratic district.
While they both represent the same generation, they are running on vastly different platforms. Frost is working to advocate for stronger gun laws, better health care and improved focus on environmental justice. Leavitt's campaign has heavily focused on increased police funding and the protection of qualified immunity, more immigration laws, opposition to "red flag" gun laws, and anti-abortion policies.
According to her website, she worked as a presidential writer under former President Donald Trump in 2018 and later served as an assistant press secretary in the White House press office.
"I helped prepare Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany for high-pressure briefings, fought against the biased mainstream media, and proudly helped message President Trump's America First agenda that uplifted the forgotten men and women and small business families like my own," she says on her website.
After the 2020 election, she said she worked as communications director for Rep. Elise Stefanik, the House GOP conference chair, to help lead messaging "against President Biden, Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats' radical agenda." She is also known to have repeated Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, The New York Times reported.
Leavitt received support from some significant conservative leaders, including Stefanik, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Utah Rep. Jim Jordan. But House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy backed one of her opponents in the GOP primary, Matt Mowers. Gail Huff Brown, whose husband is former moderate GOP Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, was also in the race.
Trump congratulated Leavitt on her win, posting on his Truth Social site that she did an "amazing job."
"Against all odds, she did it — and will have an even greater victory on November 8th. Wonderful energy and wisdom," he wrote, later adding, "The 'Trumpiest' people ALL won in New Hampshire last night."
Thank you, President Trump!🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/yHyYO7BSdI
— Karoline Leavitt (@kleavittnh) September 14, 2022
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- New Hampshire
- Karoline Leavitt
- New Hampshire primary
- Maxwell Frost
- Elections
Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.
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