Congress Braces for Youthquake

Generations X and Y are setting their sights on Washington—and not as congressional pages, reports the Hill. More than a dozen candidates under 40 have a good shot at winning seats, potentially shaving a few years off the average legislator age, now nearing 60. But much like Barack Obama, the fresh-faced kids face scrutiny over their experience.

"I spent almost 17 years in the private sector, so it’s not like I just fell off the turnip truck,” says a 36-year-old Illinois Republican. A 26-year-old likewise plays up his short but impressive resume: "I’ve had to work harder and perform better than my colleagues." A 32-year-old Democrat who's considering a Senate campaign says the trend indicates a "re-emergence of a certain kind of patriotism." (More Election 2008 stories.)