Baby of the House: Difference between revisions
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Members of the U.S. Congress tend to be older than parliamentarians elsewhere in the English-speaking world, a main factor being that the minimum ages for members of Congress is written into [[Article One of the United States Constitution]], which forbids persons under the age of 25 from serving in the House and persons under the age of 30 from serving in the Senate. |
Members of the U.S. Congress tend to be older than parliamentarians elsewhere in the English-speaking world, a main factor being that the minimum ages for members of Congress is written into [[Article One of the United States Constitution]], which forbids persons under the age of 25 from serving in the House and persons under the age of 30 from serving in the Senate. |
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In the [[113th Congress]], which began on January 6, 2013, the youngest member of the [[United States House of Representatives]] is [[Patrick Murphy (Florida politician)|Patrick Murphy]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]-[[Florida's 18th congressional district|FL 18]]. He replaces [[Aaron Schock]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]-[[Illinois's 18th congressional district|IL 18]]) who was born on {{birth date and age|1981|5|28}} and was first elected in 2008. Schock is now the second youngest House member. |
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Currently the youngest [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] is [[ |
Currently the youngest [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] is [[Chris Murphy (politician)|Chris Murphy]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]-[[Connecticut|CT]]) born on {{birth date and age|1973|8|3}} and first elected in 2012; [[Brian Schatz]] (D-[[Hawaii]]) is the second youngest senator, and [[Martin Heinrich]] (D-[[New Mexico|NM]]) is the third-youngest. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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Revision as of 19:31, 3 January 2013
Baby of the House is the unofficial title given to the youngest member of a parliamentary house. The term is most often applied to members of the British parliament.
Australia
 |
In Australia the term is rarely used. Most MPs and Senators are elected usually only in their thirties and later but some prominent MPs have been elected rather early in life including Prime Ministers Malcolm Fraser and Paul Keating who were both elected at age 25 in 1955 and 1969 respectively. The current Baby of the House is Wyatt Roy (age 22) and the current Baby of the Senate is Sarah Hanson-Young (age 30).[1] The age for candidacy has been lowered in Australia from 25 to 18.
Canada
The youngest-ever elected member of the Canadian House of Commons is Pierre-Luc Dusseault, who was elected at the age of 19 years and 11 months in 2011. Dusseault is the youngest MP in Canadian history.[2] In the past, MPs such as Pierre Poilievre, Andrew Scheer, Claude-Andre Lachance, and Lorne Nystrom have also held the distinction.
The previous youngest current MP was Nicolas Dufour, to represent the riding of Repentigny, Quebec for the Bloc Québécois; born in June 1987, elected at 21 years and 4 months in age. The youngest current female MP is Laurin Liu, NDP MP for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Québec.[3]
Republic of Ireland
In the Republic of Ireland the term is rarely used, as most TDs are elected usually only in their thirties and later. The current baby of the Dáil is the Fine Gael deputy Simon Harris (Wicklow), who was 24 years old when elected in 2011. The youngest TD of all time was William J. Murphy, elected aged 21 years 29 days; the youngest female TD was Kathleen O'Connor, 21 years 7 months.
List of Babies of the Dáil
| Elected | Name | Constituency | Party | Age | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Oliver J. Flanagan | Laois–Offaly
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #6699FF;" data-sort-value="Fine Gael" | |
Fine Gael | 23 | |
| 1948 | Neil Blaney | Donegal East
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #66BB66;" data-sort-value="Fianna Fáil" | |
Fianna Fáil | 26 | |
| 1949 | William J. Murphy | Cork West
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #CC0000;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (Ireland)" | |
Labour | 21 | |
| 1951 | Declan Costello | Dublin North–West
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #6699FF;" data-sort-value="Fine Gael" | |
Fine Gael | 24 | |
| 1956 | Kathleen O'Connor | Kerry North
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DDFFDD;" data-sort-value="Clann na Poblachta" | |
Clann na Poblachta | 21 | |
| 1957 | Brigid Hogan | Galway South
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #6699FF;" data-sort-value="Fine Gael" | |
Fine Gael | 24 | |
| 1958 | Anthony Millar | Galway South
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #66BB66;" data-sort-value="Fianna Fáil" | |
Fianna Fáil | 23 | |
| 1961 | Lorcan Allen | Wexford
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #66BB66;" data-sort-value="Fianna Fáil" | |
Fianna Fáil | 21 | |
| 1965 | Desmond Foley | Dublin County
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #66BB66;" data-sort-value="Fianna Fáil" | |
Fianna Fáil | 24 | |
| 1969 | John Bruton | Meath
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #6699FF;" data-sort-value="Fine Gael" | |
Fine Gael | 22 | |
| 1975 | Máire Geoghegan-Quinn | Galway West
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #66BB66;" data-sort-value="Fianna Fáil" | |
Fianna Fáil | 24 | |
| 1975 | Enda Kenny | Mayo West
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #6699FF;" data-sort-value="Fine Gael" | |
Fine Gael | 24 | |
| 1977 | Síle de Valera | Dublin County Mid
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #66BB66;" data-sort-value="Fianna Fáil" | |
Fianna Fáil | 23 | |
| 1979 | Myra Barry | Cork North–East
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #6699FF;" data-sort-value="Fine Gael" | |
Fine Gael | 22 | |
| 1981 | Ivan Yates | Wexford
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #6699FF;" data-sort-value="Fine Gael" | |
Fine Gael | 21 | |
| 1984 | Brian Cowen | Laois–Offaly
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #66BB66;" data-sort-value="Fianna Fáil" | |
Fianna Fáil | 24 | |
| 1987 | Mary Coughlan | Donegal South–West
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #66BB66;" data-sort-value="Fianna Fáil" | |
Fianna Fáil | 21 | |
| 1995 | Mildred Fox | Wicklow
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" | |
Independent | 24 | |
| 1997 | Denis Naughten | Longford–Roscommon
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #6699FF;" data-sort-value="Fine Gael" | |
Fine Gael | 24 | |
| 2002 | Damien English | Meath
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #6699FF;" data-sort-value="Fine Gael" | |
Fine Gael | 24 | |
| 2007 | Lucinda Creighton | Dublin South–East
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #6699FF;" data-sort-value="Fine Gael" | |
Fine Gael | 27 | |
| 2011 | Simon Harris | Wicklow
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #6699FF;" data-sort-value="Fine Gael" | |
Fine Gael | 24 |
Malawi
The youngest MP in Malawi was Angela Zachepa who was voted in as MP at age 21 [4]
New Zealand
Like Australia, the term "Baby of the House" is rarely used. "Youngest MP" is the usual term
The current Baby of the House is Jami-Lee Ross of the National Party, who was elected to Parliament in the Botany by-election on 5 March 2011, aged 25.
| Name | Electorate | Party | Date of Birth | Entered Parliament | Age | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Moore | Eden
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #D82A20;" data-sort-value="New Zealand Labour Party" | |
Labour | 28 January 1949 | 25 November 1972 | 23 | |
| Marilyn Waring | Raglan
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #00529F;" data-sort-value="New Zealand National Party" | |
National | 7 October 1952 | 29 November 1975 | 23 | |
| Darren Hughes | Ōtaki
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #D82A20;" data-sort-value="New Zealand Labour Party" | |
Labour | 3 April 1978 | 27 July 2002 | 24 | |
| Jacinda Ardern | (List)
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #D82A20;" data-sort-value="New Zealand Labour Party" | |
Labour | 26 July 1980 | 8 November 2008 | 28 | |
| Gareth Hughes | (List)
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #098137;" data-sort-value="Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand" | |
Green | 31 October 1981 | 11 February 2010 | 28 | |
| Jami-Lee Ross | Botany
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #00529F;" data-sort-value="New Zealand National Party" | |
National | 10 December 1985 | 5 March 2011 | 25 |
Uganda
At 19 years of Proscovia Alengot Oromait is currently the world's youngest MP and youngest ever MP in Africa. Miss Oromait is a member of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in Uganda and a representative of Usuk county.
United Kingdom
Becoming the Baby of the House is regarded as something of an achievement despite the lack of any special treatment that comes with the title. For example, Jeffrey Archer incorrectly claimed to have been the youngest MP at the time of his election. However, some MPs who have held the position for a considerable period — Matthew Taylor was the Baby of the House for over ten years — have found it somewhat embarrassing, as it may suggest that they have a lack of experience, although a perusal of the list shows that many babies in fact went on to enjoy long, significant and distinguished parliamentary careers. From August 1999 to September 2001, all three of the leaders of the main political parties had been the youngest MPs in the party when they began their political career (William Hague, Tony Blair, Charles Kennedy).
Of those whose age can be verified, the youngest MP since the Reform Act of 1832[5] was James Dickson who was elected as a Liberal at a by-election for the Borough of Dungannon on 25 June 1880. He was born on 19 April 1859 and so was aged 21 years 67 days. The youngest female MP was Bernadette Devlin, elected on 17 April 1969 from Mid Ulster aged 21 years 359 days. The age of candidacy for Parliament was lowered from 21 to 18 by the Electoral Administration Act of 2006.
In more recent times, the oldest Baby at first election is Sarah Teather, elected in 2003 aged 29 years 109 days.
List of Babies of the House of Commons
| Elected | Name | Constituency | Party | Age | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 (b) | James Dickson | Dungannon
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | 21 | |
| 1885 | Harry Levy-Lawson | St Pancras West
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | 22 | |
| 1888 (b) | Lord Walter Gordon-Lennox | Chichester
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 22 | |
| 1890 (b) | Henry Harrison | Mid Tipperary
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #99FF66;" data-sort-value="Irish Parliamentary Party" | |
Irish Parliamentary | 22 | |
| 1891 (b) | Victor Cavendish | West Derbyshire
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 23 | |
| 1891 (b) | Frederick Smith | Strand
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 23 | |
| 1892 | Thomas Bartholomew Curran | Kilkenny City
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #00FA9A;" data-sort-value="Irish National Federation" | |
Irish National Federation | 22 | |
| 1895 | Viscount Milton | Wakefield
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #2061A2;" data-sort-value="Liberal Unionist Party" | |
Liberal Unionist | 22 | |
| 1898 (b) | Sir Samuel Scott, Bt | Marylebone West
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 24 | |
| 1898 (b) | Arthur Hill | West Down
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 24 | |
| 1900 | Richard Rigg | Appleby
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | 23 | |
| 1904 (b) | Viscount Turnour | Horsham
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 21 | |
| 1906 | Lord Wodehouse | Mid Norfolk
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | 22 | |
| 1910 | Charles Thomas Mills | Uxbridge
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 22 | |
| 1910 | Viscount Wolmer | Newton
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | 23 | |
| 1912 (b) | Sir Philip Sassoon, Bt | Hythe
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 23 | |
| 1915 (b) | John Esmonde | North Tipperary
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #99FF66;" data-sort-value="Irish Parliamentary Party" | |
Irish Parliamentary | 21 | |
| 1916 (b) | Patrick Joseph Whitty | North Louth
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #99FF66;" data-sort-value="Irish Parliamentary Party" | |
Irish Parliamentary | 21 | |
| 1917 (b) | Lord Stanley | Liverpool Abercromby
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 22 | |
| 1918[6] | Joseph Aloysius Sweeney | West Donegal
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #326760;" data-sort-value="Sinn Féin" | |
Sinn Féin | 21 | |
| 1919 (b) | Esmond Harmsworth | Isle of Thanet
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Coalition Conservative" | |
Coalition Conservative | 21 | |
| 1922 | Arthur Evans | Leicester East
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFF890;" data-sort-value="National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)" | |
National Liberal | 24 | |
| 1923 | Charles Rhys | Romford
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 24 | |
| 1924 | Hugh Lucas-Tooth | Isle of Ely
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 21 | |
| 1929 (b) | Jennie Lee | North Lanarkshire
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | 24 | |
| 1929 | Frank Owen | Hereford
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | 23 | |
| 1931 | Roland Robinson | Widnes
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 24 | |
| 1933 (b) | Lord Willoughby de Eresby | Rutland and Stamford
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 25 | |
| 1935 (b) | Charles Taylor | Eastbourne
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 24 | |
| 1935 | Malcolm Macmillan | Western Isles
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | 22 | |
| 1940 (b) | John Profumo | Kettering
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 25 | |
| 1941 (b) | George Charles Grey | Berwick-upon-Tweed
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | 22 | |
| 1944[7] | John Profumo | Kettering
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 29 | |
| 1945 (b) | Ernest Millington | Chelmsford
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #ff7f50;" data-sort-value="Common Wealth Party" | |
Common Wealth | 29 | |
| 1945 | Edward Carson | Isle of Thanet
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 25 | |
| 1948 (b) | Roy Jenkins | Southwark Central
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | 27 | |
| 1950 | Peter Baker | South Norfolk
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 28 | |
| 1950 (b)[8] | Tony Benn | Bristol South East
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | 25 | |
| 1950 (b) | Thomas Teevan | Belfast West
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" | |
UUP | 23 | |
| 1951[9] | Tony Benn | Bristol South East
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | 26 | |
| 1954 (b) | John Eden | Bournemouth West
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 28 | |
| 1954 (b) | John Woollam | Liverpool West Derby
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 27 | |
| 1955[10] | Philip Clarke | Fermanagh and South Tyrone
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #326760;" data-sort-value="Sinn Féin" | |
Sinn Féin | 21 | |
| 1955[10] | Peter Kirk | Gravesend
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 27 | |
| 1956 (b) | Marcus Kimball | Gainsborough
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 27 | |
| 1957 (b) | Robert Cooke | Bristol West
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 26 | |
| 1958 (b)[11] | Basil de Ferranti | Morecambe and Lunesdale
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 28 | |
| 1958 (b) | Patrick Wolrige-Gordon | East Aberdeenshire
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 23 | |
| 1959 (b) | Paul Channon | Southend West
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 23 | |
| 1964 | Teddy Taylor | Glasgow Cathcart
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 27 | |
| 1965 (b) | David Steel | Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | 26 | |
| 1966 | John Ryan | Uxbridge
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | 25 | |
| 1967 (b) | Les Huckfield | Nuneaton
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | 24 | |
| 1969 (b) | Bernadette Devlin | Mid Ulster
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: olive;" data-sort-value="Unity (Northern Ireland)" | |
Unity | 21 | |
| Feb 1974 | Dafydd Elis-Thomas | Merioneth
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #005B54;" data-sort-value="Plaid Cymru" | |
Plaid Cymru | 27 | |
| Oct 1974 | Hélène Hayman | Welwyn and Hatfield
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | 25 | |
| 1977 (b) | Andrew MacKay | Birmingham Stechford
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 27 | |
| 1979 (b) | David Alton | Liverpool Edge Hill
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | 28 | |
| 1979 | Stephen Dorrell | Loughborough
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 27 | |
| 1981 (b)[12] | Bobby Sands | Fermanagh and South Tyrone
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #008800;" data-sort-value="Anti H-Block" | |
Anti H-Block | 27 | |
| 1981[7] | Stephen Dorrell | Loughborough
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 29 | |
| 1981 (b)[12] | Owen Carron | Fermanagh and South Tyrone
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #008800;" data-sort-value="Anti H-Block" | |
Anti H-Block | 28 | |
| 1983 | Charles Kennedy | Ross, Cromarty and Skye
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #6C2f56;" data-sort-value="Social Democratic Party (UK)" | |
SDP | 23 | |
| 1987 (b) | Matthew Taylor | Truro
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | 24 | |
| 1997[13] | Chris Leslie | Shipley
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | 24 | |
| 2000 (b) | David Lammy | Tottenham
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | 27 | |
| 2003 (b) | Sarah Teather | Brent East
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FAA61A;" data-sort-value="Liberal Democrats (UK)" | |
Liberal Democrats | 29 | |
| 2005 | Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FAA61A;" data-sort-value="Liberal Democrats (UK)" | |
Liberal Democrats | 25 | |
| 2009 (b) | Chloe Smith | Norwich North
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | 27 | |
| 2010 | Pamela Nash | Airdrie and Shotts
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | 25 |
[ (b) - by-election]
United States
While the term is used in the Commonwealth Parliaments, Baby of the House/Senate is not in general contemporary use in the United States, nor does being the youngest member guarantee special treatment in either house of Congress.
Members of the U.S. Congress tend to be older than parliamentarians elsewhere in the English-speaking world, a main factor being that the minimum ages for members of Congress is written into Article One of the United States Constitution, which forbids persons under the age of 25 from serving in the House and persons under the age of 30 from serving in the Senate.
In the 113th Congress, which began on January 6, 2013, the youngest member of the United States House of Representatives is Patrick Murphy (D-FL 18. He replaces Aaron Schock (R-IL 18) who was born on May 28, 1981 and was first elected in 2008. Schock is now the second youngest House member.
Currently the youngest U.S. Senator is Chris Murphy (D-CT) born on August 3, 1973 and first elected in 2012; Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) is the second youngest senator, and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) is the third-youngest.
See also
Notes
- ^ Barrett, R. (2010), "Dad says nation's youngest MP Wyatt Roy 'won't sit there quietly'". The Australian, 23 August 2010, Page 9.
- ^ Banerjee, Sidhartha (May 4, 2011). "19-year-old sets record as youngest MP; NDPer planned summer job at golf course". The Canadian Press.
- ^ Members of the House of Commons - Average Age.
- ^ http://www.malawivoice.com/entertainment/atupele-muluzi-to-engage-former-youngest-parliamentarian-angella-zachepa/
- ^ Prior to 1832 minors could be elected; precise information on those MPs is often unclear.
- ^ Joseph Aloysius Sweeney did not take his seat; the youngest MP actually sitting in the House of Commons was Oswald Mosley (Conservative, aged 22).
- ^ a b Became the youngest MP for a second time, on the death of the previous youngest MP.
- ^ Tony Benn was first elected at the Bristol South East by-election, 1950, aged 25, the day after Thomas Teevan, who was aged 23, but Benn took the oath the day before Teevan, and so was Baby of the House for a single day.
- ^ Tony Benn became the youngest MP again after the 1951 general election, on the defeat of Teevan.
- ^ a b Elected on an abstentionist ticket, Philip Clarke did not take his seat. Peter Kirk was first elected at the 1955 general election, when he became the youngest MP to take his seat, but only became the youngest MP with the disqualification of Philip Clarke later in the year.
- ^ Basil de Ferranti was the youngest MP for 15 days between his taking his seat after the Morecambe by-election and Patrick Wolrige-Gordon taking his seat after the East Aberdeenshire by-election. (source).
- ^ a b Elected on an abstentionist ticket, Bobby Sands and Owen Carron did not take their seats; Stephen Dorrell remained the youngest MP actually sitting in the House of Commons.
- ^ Although several sources claim Claire Ward was the youngest MP during this period, she was 50 days older than Chris Leslie.