Capitol Hill has long been called a “retirement home,” as well over 100 House members and half the Senate are over the age of 65. That reputation doesn’t look due to change anytime soon — there are currently more than 10 members seeking reelection who are at least 80 years old.
Nearly a year and a half into the 119th Congress, five House members and one senator have died while in office, raising concerns on both sides of the aisle about generational change. Members of both parties have faced primary challengers who have made age the centerpiece of their campaigns, and a number of House Democrats lost primaries earlier this year to younger opponents. The Democratic Party, especially, has faced a reckoning over the age of its candidates, particularly in the wake of former President Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 presidential race over concerns about his mental acuity.
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According to Congress.gov, the average age of the House at the start of this Congress was 57.9 years, with the Senate slightly higher at 63.9 years. At 92, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is the oldest member of Congress.
Most of the aging lawmakers sit in uncompetitive seats and have cleared their primaries, meaning they are all but guaranteed to return to Congress at the start of next year.
Here are the 10 oldest members running for reelection this cycle:
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY)
The dean of the House, Rogers, is the longest-serving member of the House, along with Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). He is running for his 24th term at 88 years old to represent Kentucky’s 5th district. He won his primary earlier this year and is headed for a November win in his safe Republican seat.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Waters is running for her 19th term in California’s 43rd district and is projected to win the safe Democratic seat. She is 87 years old.
Rep. Jim Clyburn (R-SC)
Clyburn was saved from the South Carolina’s redistricting effort earlier this year, when enough legislative Republicans in the state Senate rejected a redraw, allowing him to run for an 18th term in a seat that could be competitive. The 86-year-old is the only South Carolina Democrat serving in the House and remains one of the most influential politicians in the Democratic Party.
Rep. John Carter (R-TX)
Carter is 84 years old and is running for his 13th term. Despite Texas redrawing its map, his seat is still a safe Republican seat. Carter won his crowded primary earlier this year.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
DeLauro is the top Democrat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee and is running for her 19th term at 83 years old. If Democrats take the House, she is expected to take back the appropriations gavel. DeLauro brushed off a primary challenge in Tuesday’s primary.
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
Foxx is chairwoman of the House Rules Committee at 83 years old and will serve her 12th term for North Carolina’s 11th District, provided she wins her safe Republican seat.
Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA)
Matsui, 81, is running for her 12th term in California’s 7th district. She faces a serious challenge from Sacramento City Council member Mai Vang, 41, who framed her campaign as generational change. Vang finished second in the state’s top-two primary and will face Matsui in November. Matsui brought in 31.2% of the vote, and Vang garnered 29.1%.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO)
Cleaver, 81, is running for another term in a seat that was drawn to benefit Republicans during a redistricting session last year. The map is currently caught up in a bitter legal battle and will appear before the Supreme Court. If the court sides with opponents of the map, it could upend the results of the Aug. 4 primary, which was held under the new lines. Opponents are trying to put the map to a referendum before voters, which could suspend its implementation.
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Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN)
Despite being 81 years old, Baird has not been in Congress all that long. He has only served four terms in the House and was 73 years old when first elected. He faced a primary challenge in May but easily dispatched his challenger with 60% of the vote.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA)
Markey, 80, is the only member on this list who faces an outstanding primary, a challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), which will take place next month. The race has become a generational change fight after Moulton, 47, entered the race but did not secure the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s endorsement ahead of the primary. Markey faced a similar challenge from former Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA) six years ago.
