New details about former President Joe Biden’s decline are the talk of the town in Washington, D.C., but many of the oldest Democrat lawmakers are undeterred in their plans to seek reelection, according to Axios.
More than half of the 30 House Democrats who are aged 75 or older have confirmed ambitions of remaining in office, the outlet reported Wednesday.
Those members include Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters of California, 86; Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, 82; John Garamendi of California, 80; Doris Matsui of California, 80; Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey, 80; David Scott of Georgia, 79; Lloyd Doggett of Texas, 78; Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, 78; Jerry Nadler of New York, 77; Al Green of Texas, 77; Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, 77; Zoe Lofgren of California, 77; Kweisi Mfume of Maryland, 76; John Larson of Connecticut, 76; Richard Neal of Massachusetts, 76; Lois Frankel of Florida, 76; Steve Cohen of Tennessee, 75; and Joyce Beatty of Ohio, 75.
Some members have had notable health challenges, such as Scott, who stepped down as a ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee due to health concerns, or Larson, who experienced a partial seizure during a House floor speech in February, Axios reported.
The issue of age is at the front of Democrats’ minds as they seek to recalibrate after their significant electoral defeat in 2024, particularly in light of recent revelations about the extent of the former president’s physical and mental decline during his term in office.
Biden, who would have been 86 by the end of his second term, embarked on his reelection bid despite mounting criticism of his public gaffes, some of which his White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre excused as “cheap fakes.” His campaign came to an end after his devastating June 2024 debate with President Donald Trump and a weeks-long pressure campaign from top Democrats to withdraw.
“To vigorously continue the fight against the lawlessness of Trump and Trumpism, I filed my intent to seek reelection last November,” Doggett said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “As the first Democratic member to call for Biden to step aside, I questioned his ability, not his age. I expect my personal ability, accessibility, and experience to be an asset.”
Spokespeople for Watson Coleman and Cohen similarly told the DCNF that the representatives are not concerned that their age will disadvantage them in the reelection bid.
Eighty-five-year-old former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a key figure in pushing Biden out of his reelection campaign, declined to comment on whether she will run again in 2026, according to Axios. Pelosi recently underwent hip replacement surgery after taking a fall during a congressional delegation trip abroad.
Democratic National Committee (DNC) vice chair David Hogg, who may soon be ousted from his position based on a procedural technicality, has been vocal about addressing what he called the “culture of seniority politics” in the Democratic Party. His organization, Leaders We Deserve, launched a $20 million campaign in April to elect younger lawmakers, including by challenging incumbents in primaries.
“Everyone in our party says they want to start winning again, and they do—but that simply will not be possible with our current set of leaders, too many of which are asleep at the wheel, out-of-touch, and ineffective,” Hogg wrote on X.
Hogg is not alone in the sentiment as one anonymous Democrat described the decision of so many of the oldest legislators to run for reelection as “insane,” according to Axios.
A new poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that only about a third of Democrats report being “very optimistic” or even “somewhat optimistic” compared to 55% of Republicans.
The offices of Waters, DeLauro, Garamendi, Matsui, Scott, Nadler, Green, Thompson, Lofgren, Mfume, Larson, Neal, Frankel and Beatty did not respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.
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