Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is seeking reelection to her California congressional seat despite facing uncertainty after stepping back from House Democratic leadership and dealing with her husband Paul Pelosi being attacked by a hammer-wielding assailant last year.
The 83-year-old announced her intent to run for reelection in the San Francisco district on Friday.
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“Now more than ever our City needs us to advance San Francisco values and further our recovery. Our country needs America to show the world that our flag is still there, with liberty and justice for ALL. That is why I am running for reelection — and respectfully ask for your vote. -Nancy,” she tweeted.
Now more than ever our City needs us to advance San Francisco values and further our recovery. Our country needs America to show the world that our flag is still there, with liberty and justice for ALL. That is why I am running for reelection — and respectfully ask for your vote.…
— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) September 8, 2023
“The babysitter agreed to stay late!” National Republican Congressional Committee press secretary Will Reinert responded.
After the midterm elections, Pelosi said she would not seek reelection as Democratic House leader. “I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” she said. “For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), 53, took on the role of top House Democrat. Pelosi, however, wasn’t the only older member of leadership to take a backseat. After her announcement, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), 83, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), 84, followed suit.
Their exodus marked a shift to a new, younger generation of leadership for Democrats. Along with Jeffries, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) is 60, while Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA) is just 44 — nearly 40 years Pelosi’s junior.
Pelosi’s reelection announcement comes as concerns over politicians’ ages have grown more prominent among voters, with 77% saying 80 year old President Joe Biden is too old to effectively serve another four year term in a new poll, as he seeks reelection in 2024. More than half of people also believe 77-year-old former President Donald Trump, who is the Republican primary frontrunner and likely nominee, is too old to serve another term effectively.
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Further, two recent public freezing episodes from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 81, have only heightened concerns about age across branches of government.
Addressing these worries, presidential candidate former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has suggested competency tests for politicians over the age of 75. Following McConnell’s most recent episode, Haley claimed, “The Senate is the most privileged nursing home in the country. I mean, Mitch McConnell has done some great things, and he deserves credit, but you have to know when to leave.”
Of Pelosi’s announcement, Haley’s campaign spokesman Ken Farnaso said, “Nancy Pelosi has been in Congress since the Reagan Administration. It’s time for a new generation of leadership and congressional term limits.”
