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Why aren’t more young Republicans running for Congress?

By Sarah McCammon,
Claudia Grisales, Elena Moore
Published September 3, 2025 at 10:21 AM EDT
Lawmakers gather in the House chamber for a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, at the Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2025.
J. Scott Applewhite
/
AP
Lawmakers gather in the House chamber for a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, at the Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2025.

Congress members have returned to Washington, as have partisan fights over Jeffrey Epstein and a possible government shutdown. We discuss what to expect on Capitol Hill, as well as why more young Republicans aren't running for Congress. 

This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales, and political reporter Elena Moore. 

This podcast was produced by Casey Morell & Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

Copyright 2025 NPR

Corrected: September 2, 2025 at 6:32 PM EDT
This episode incorrectly identifies the congressional district for which Mason Foley is running. He is running to represent Tennessee's 7th district.
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Sarah McCammon
Sarah McCammon is a National Correspondent covering the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast for NPR. Her work focuses on political, social and cultural divides in America, including abortion and reproductive rights, and the intersections of politics and religion. She's also a frequent guest host for NPR news magazines, podcasts and special coverage.
Claudia Grisales
Claudia Grisales is a congressional reporter assigned to NPR's Washington Desk.
See stories by Claudia Grisales
Elena Moore
Elena Moore is a production assistant for the NPR Politics Podcast. She also fills in as a reporter for the NewsDesk. Moore previously worked as a production assistant for Morning Edition. During the 2020 presidential campaign, she worked for the Washington Desk as an editorial assistant, doing both research and reporting. Before coming to NPR, Moore worked at NBC News. She is a graduate of The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and is originally and proudly from Brooklyn, N.Y.
See stories by Elena Moore
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