One of my mom's favorite sayings was "old age is not for sissies." As Father Time has his way with all of us, that becomes more apparent every day. Most of us try to be as healthy as we can. We eat right, exercise, and do our best to keep our minds sharp and focused. But at some point, either we do the things we used to do much more slowly, or not at all. However, there is an entire group of people who seem to think they are immune to the scourge of old age, and the most disturbing thing is that you can find them in the nation's capital.
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, several younger Democrat activists are calling on older Democrat members of Congress to perhaps call it a career and throw their support behind some younger candidates. But it should come as no surprise that the aging House members have no intention of going anywhere, and plan on hanging onto power with their bony fingers as long as possible.
READ MORE: Has the 'Biden Effect' Poisoned the Democrat Party?
Amanda Litman is the president of Run for Something, a group that recruits and supports young left-wing candidates. She said of 2026, “I think every Democrat over 70 should make this their last term.” Yeah, good luck with that. In response, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), 71, said the quiet part out loud.
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. We want to keep the power that we have.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) was a bit more to the point, saying, “members have to decide when they’re either done with this place, or quite frankly, when this place is done with them.” With the state the Democratic Party is in, the latter is happening much quicker than the former.
There has been a rash of Democrat members deciding to call it quits. Whether it is because they truly think it is time to retire, or because they are seeing some unpleasant writing on the wall for Dems in 2026 and are bailing out now, is unclear. So far, Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), 78, Dwight Evans (D-PA), 71, Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), 71, and the baby of the group, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), at 67, have all said they would not seek reelection.
But then, there are the hangers-on. Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA), 80, thinks 2026 could be good for Democrats, and said of the geriatric wing of the party, “[The] weather is shaping up to be good (for the party). Particularly for members that have been here 20, 30 years, they see an opportunity." And double "good news" for Democrats, not only does Garamendi say that he has “no intention of retiring at all," but he is planning on hanging around until at least 2030, when he will be 85 years old.
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According to Meeks, it's about keeping the power they have. But here's the problem, and Democrats have done it to themselves. Younger Americans are becoming more conservative, while young Democrat candidates, such as AOC and the Squad, and Jasmine Crockett, are lurching further left. That's some math even I can understand. Do older Democrats also get the math and think they can save the party by sticking around as long as possible? It is likely exactly what Meeks, in so many words, says it is: the power addiction.
So, the fight is on between the likes of 85-year-old California Rep. Nancy Pelosi and D.C. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, 88, both of whom are running for reelection, and the increasingly far-left youngsters. The get-off-my-lawn crowd sticking it to the young guns will be fun to watch.
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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