A growing group of younger Democratic candidates is challenging longtime House incumbents ahead of the 2026 midterms, with some newcomers narrowing traditional fundraising gaps by drawing heavily from individual donors. In Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, state Rep. Justin Pearson has outraised Rep. Steve Cohen in recent months, even as Cohen retains a large cash advantage.
More than 80 Gen Z and millennial candidates are challenging or running to succeed House Democrats aged 65 and older in the 2026 cycle, according to a report by the Democratic fundraising platform Oath that NPR said it obtained. Oath compared that with the prior cycle, when it found 24 Democratic candidates under 50 challenging older incumbents.
In Memphis, Tennessee, state Rep. Justin Pearson — 31, according to NPR — is running against Rep. Steve Cohen, 76, in the Democratic primary for Tennessee’s 9th District. NPR reported that Pearson, who previously interned for Cohen, raised $732,000 from mid-October through the end of 2025. Cohen, NPR reported, posted about $306,000 in receipts during 2025 and had more than $1.8 million cash on hand, and has taken corporate PAC contributions that Pearson has not.
Pearson framed his bid as a push for new leadership. “We need someone who has new ideas, new energy and a new perspective to be an advocate for our community,” he told NPR. “I’m not running against a person, I’m running against the problem, and the problem is the status quo.”
Cohen, in comments reported by NPR, said Pearson “sometimes thinks he’s the voice of today and the future,” adding: “I was that voice 35 years ago. He’s got a ways to catch up to me.”
NPR’s review of federal campaign finance data identified 12 safely Democratic districts held by older incumbents where younger challengers have shown notable fundraising strength.
In Colorado’s 1st District, NPR reported that 28-year-old Melat Kiros trailed Rep. Diana DeGette, 68, in overall fundraising but came closer in individual giving, reporting $200,000 in individual contributions to DeGette’s $252,000 by year’s end. Kiros criticized DeGette’s past acceptance of donations from defense contractors and from energy and pharmaceutical interests, according to NPR.
DeGette’s campaign disputed that framing in a statement to NPR, saying she has “long championed public financing for elections” and pointing to her record on healthcare and climate policy.
In North Carolina, NPR reported that 32-year-old Nida Allam raised just over $583,000 to Rep. Valerie Foushee’s $555,000 in a Democratic primary rematch. The race drew heavy outside spending: NPR cited Federal Election Commission records showing more than $4.4 million in outside expenditures as of the Tuesday referenced in its report, with roughly $2.4 million supporting Foushee and about $1.8 million supporting Allam. Allam ultimately lost, NPR reported.
Oath co-founder Brian Derrick told NPR that more than $10 million has been directed to competitive challengers in these kinds of generational matchups this cycle. David Hogg, founder of the political group Leaders We Deserve, told NPR the goal is to elect candidates who represent a new generation.
Tennessee’s 2026 primary is scheduled for August, according to NPR.
