Old and progressive wins the horse race!

Hey, your only as old as you feel. Haha.

These guys are trying to drive the car over the cliff!

I bet they not only feel young but pretty as well!

‘Who, Me?’ Older Democrats Defy Calls for Retirement

Longstanding Rep. Jerry Nadler is stepping down, but many senior colleagues say they have no plans to leave

By Jasmine Li, WSJ

Updated Sept. 10, 2025

Rep. Jerry Nadler’s retirement has amplified calls for generational change within the Democratic Party.

WASHINGTON—On Congress’s first day back in session after summer break, 78-year-old Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York said he would retire at the end of his term, lifting the spirits of Democrats seeking generational change in the party. Now the question is: How many more will follow him?

Democrats have been wrestling for years over what younger progressives see as an intransigent old guard. The party’s drubbing in the 2024 elections—after octogenarian President Joe Biden was replaced at the top of ticket—left them out of power in Washington.

“I think every Democrat over 70 should make this their last term,” said Amanda Litman, the president of Run for Something, a PAC that supports young progressive candidates.

Primary challengers have cast elder lawmakers as clinging onto power and out of touch with the needs of voters. But incumbents say their experience and influence in Congress is worth defending, and many longtime members say they haven’t made up their minds yet—or have already said they are sticking around.

“I don’t think there’s any reason to say that everybody in the delegation should be leaving, especially if you want to have power,” said 71-year-old Rep. Gregory Meeks (D., N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “We want to keep the power that we have.” Meeks has filed to run for a 14th term in 2026.

The numbers are stark. While the median age of Democrats and Republicans is about the same—around 57 years old at the start of this year—Democrats have far more older members. There are 55 House Democrats age 70 or older as of Sept. 10, compared with 33 Republicans, according to data from the congressional Biographical Directory. Three House Democrats in their 70s died this year, and the last eight members of Congress to die in office have all been Democrats.

Retirement announcements typically pick up in the fall the year before the election, and this year’s retirements have outpaced previous cycles so far. Nadler was the fifth House Democrat this year to announce retirement, joining Reps. Jan Schakowsky, 81, Dwight Evans, 71, Danny Davis, 84, and Lloyd Doggett, 78. Several other House Democrats are leaving their seats to run for Senate or governor.

At this point in 2023, only one Democrat had announced an intention to retire, while eight others had announced their candidacy for the Senate.

“Members have to decide when they’re either done with this place, or quite frankly, when this place is done with them,” said 44-year-old Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D., Fla.).

‘They see an opportunity’

But many older lawmakers say they are in no rush to leave, pointing to their hope of taking back the House in the midterm elections. Unlike Republicans, Democrats don’t face term limits for committee leadership roles. With more years in office comes more seniority.

“The weather is shaping up to be good for Democrats,” said Rep. John Garamendi (D., Calif.), 80, who was first elected in 2009. “Particularly for members that have been here 20, 30 years, they see an opportunity.”

Garamendi, the top Democrat on an Armed Services subcommittee, said he has “no intention of retiring at all.” He said he plans to stay through at least the 2030 election.

Lawmakers were hesitant to weigh in on whether other members should retire.

“The last thing I’m going to do is tell a member whether they should seek re-election or not,” Rep. Yvette Clarke (D., N.Y.), 60, said, instead encouraging members to think about succession plans.

“That’s an individual decision that everybody must make,” said 70-year-old Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D., N.Y.), who was first elected in 2016. Espaillat is the ranking member on an Appropriations subcommittee and chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Asked how he would know it was time to retire, Espaillat replied, “Who, me? I just got here.”

Senior Democrats choose to stay

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) said at a news conference Thursday that generational change has already been under way for several years. He pointed to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), 85, and top deputies who stepped down from leadership positions in recent years. All three remain in Congress and none has stated plans to step aside.

They “were very explicit that they were going to open the door for a new generation of Democrats,” Jeffries said. He said he was speaking about caucus leadership, and elections are in the hands of voters.

Jeffries backed Connecticut Rep. John Larson’s bid for a 15th term, calling the 77-year-old congressman a “forceful advocate.” Larson, the top Democrat on the Ways and Means panel’s Social Security subcommittee, experienced a complex partial seizure on the House floor in February.

Larson said ability is more important than age.

“It doesn’t make a lot of sense, in a system of seniority, to replace someone who’s delivering and is going to be in a position to chair committees, with someone who will start at the very bottom of the system and not be able to do much,” Larson said Tuesday.

Larson’s Democratic challenger is putting the age debate front and center.

“I respect people who have served in Congress for decades, but at a certain point, it’s just time to let some new voices in,” Luke Bronin, the 46-year-old former mayor of Hartford, Conn., said in his campaign announcement.