With disillusionment with “the older generation” widespread, the possibility now exists that America could elect a President in 2020 who could be younger than any President in American history.
Theodore Roosevelt succeeded to the Presidency at age 42 years and 10.5 months in 1901, upon the assassination of President William McKinley.
And John F. Kennedy was the youngest elected President, taking the oath of office at age 43 years and 7.5 months in 1961.
We have also had three younger Presidential nominees of a major party who lost their campaigns for the Presidency:
Thomas E. Dewey in the 1944 election, who would have been 42 years and 10 months if he had taken the oath in 1945
John C. Breckinridge in the 1860 election, who would have been 40 years and 1.5 months if he had taken the oath in 1861
William Jennings Bryan in the 1896 and 1900 elections, who would have been 36 years and 11.5 months and 40 years and 11.5 months respectively, if he had taken the oath in 1897 and 1901.
Now, in the upcoming election for President in 2020, there are seven theoretical candidates who would be younger than TR and JFK.
They include:
Congressman Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who would be 42 and three months on Inauguration Day
Congressman Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts, who would be 40 and three and a half months on Inauguration Day
Congressman Eric Swalwell of California, who would be 40 and two months on Inauguration Day
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who would be 39 and nine months on Inauguration Day
Former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, who is running to be Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, in June 2019, who would be 39 and eight months on Inauguration Day
South Bend, Indiana Mayor (since 2012) Pete Buttigieg, who would be 39 and one day old on Inauguration Day
Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg, who has no political experience, who would be 36 and eight months old on Inauguration Day
The odds of any of these seven being the Democratic nominee are very long, and highly unlikely, as four are members of the House of Representatives (and only James A. Garfield was ever elected to the Presidency from the lower house); and two are or will be Mayors, and only Andrew Johnson, in Greeneville, Tennessee; Grover Cleveland, in Buffalo, New York: and Calvin Coolidge in Northampton, Massachusetts were mayors, although Theodore Roosevelt ran for New York City Mayor in 1886, but lost.
Finally, Zuckerberg would only be the second person never in public office after Donald Trump, and seemingly, a real long shot. If Zuckerberg were to become President, he would be the youngest nominee ever, three and a half months younger than William Jennings Bryan in 1896.