Recent insights regarding the challenges faced by former President Joe Biden emerge from Washington, D.C. According to Axios, many senior Democrats don’t seem particularly focused on re-election plans.
Out of 30 House Democrats aged 75 and older, more than half expressed their desire to remain in office, as reported on Wednesday.
Among these lawmakers are prominent names like Maxine Waters (California, 86), Rosa DeLauro (Connecticut, 82), John Garamendi (California, 80), and several others including David Scott (Georgia, 79), Lloyd Doggett (Texas, 78), and Jerry Nadler (New York, 77). There’s also a group of members who are, well, in that same age range, like Al Green and Benny Thompson, both at 77, as well as Zoe Lofgren (California, 77) and John Larson (Connecticut, 76), to name a few.
However, not all lawmakers are in perfect health. For instance, Scott recently stepped down from his role as a ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee due to health issues, and Larson even had a partial seizure during a speech on the House floor back in February.
This age factor is clearly on the minds of Democrats, especially as they try to regroup following a tough election in 2024. This is particularly relevant in light of recent information shedding light on Biden’s physical and mental struggles while in office.
Biden, who will be 86 by the end of his second term, attempted to run for re-election but faced growing scrutiny after a particularly challenging debate against Donald Trump in June 2024, which further led to pressure from fellow Democrats for him to step aside.
Doggett mentioned in a statement aiming to fight against what he calls “Trumpism” that he announced his intention to seek re-election last November. He noted that his concerns about Biden were directed more towards his abilities rather than his age, emphasizing that his experience could be beneficial.
Representatives from Waters’s and Cohen’s offices indicated they weren’t particularly worried about their age being a disadvantage in their election efforts.
Nancy Pelosi, who plays a significant role in influencing Biden’s re-election campaign, chose not to comment. Recently, the 85-year-old underwent hip replacement surgery after falling during a trip abroad.
Meanwhile, David Hogg, vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), might soon face expulsion based on procedural issues but has voiced his concerns about what he described as “the culture of seniority politics” within the Democratic Party. His group recently initiated a $20 million campaign aimed at electing younger lawmakers, even challenging current incumbents.
Hogg remarked that while there’s much talk of wanting to start winning elections again, it appears challenging with the existing leadership. An anonymous Democrat called the decision of older lawmakers to run again a “very old lawmaker’s decision.”
A new opinion survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center revealed that only about one-third of Democrats consider themselves “very” or “somewhat optimistic,” as opposed to 55% of Republicans.
The offices of several aging lawmakers, including Waters, DeLauro, and Nadler, did not provide responses to inquiries regarding their re-election plans.
