The new US Congress is the most ethnically and sexually diverse yet
- Racial composition
The new 118th convocation became the most ethnically diverse in the history of Congress. For the 7th time in a row, Congress has broken its own record for the number of races represented in it. There are 133 senators and members of the House who belong to ethnic minorities. Just 20 years ago, in 2003, there were 67 such politicians. Among them, 80% were elected from the Democratic Party, 20% from the Republican Party. If we compare these figures with the 117th convocation, the figures have become more diverse, 83% and 17% of minorities were among the parties in the last convocation.
- Sexual orientation
Another historical record is the number of representatives of non-traditional sexual orientations. In both chambers, 13 members of Congress identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Among them are 2 in the Senate and 11 in the House of Representatives. The party breakdown is as follows: 1 Republican, 1 Independent and 11 Democrats.
- Religion
The vast majority of current congressmen are Christians—88%. This is 469 out of 535 politicians, which sets an anti-record. By comparison, in 1979-1980, 91% of members of Congress identified themselves as Christians. Other religions: 33 representatives of Judaism, 3 Islam, 2 Hinduism, 2 Buddhism. Both parties are represented mainly by Christians of various persuasions, but for Republicans this figure reaches 99% - 268 out of 271 congressmen. For Democrats, the numbers are more modest, only 76%, 201 out of 263.
- Age
The House of Representatives has become much younger, but the Senate continues to age. The average age of the Chamber is 57,9 years; in the last convocation it was 58,9 years. But the average age of a senator is 65,3 years, although in the last convocation it was 64,8%. Of the 73 newly elected members of the House of Representatives, 31 politicians are 40 years old, 15 are 30 years old, and one is 26 years old. His name is Maxwell Frost. The median age of “first movers” is below average and is 46,3 years. The new composition includes fewer Boomers, but more Millennials and Generation X (1965-1980). The only representative of Generation Z is Maxwell Frost, born after 1996.
Source: Telegram channel “Campaign Insider”
