The debate over aging members of Congress is flaring as Democrats confront a series of health crises, retirements, and looming primary challenges that could reshape the party’s leadership ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
House Appropriations ranking member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) underwent surgery Monday at Griffin Hospital in her home state of Connecticut to treat spinal stenosis, a disease that is often caused by an increase in age.
DeLauro said Monday her spinal stenosis surgery “was a success” and that she plans to return to Washington when Congress reconvenes in September. Her surgery comes after three older House Democrats have died this year, giving House Republicans more room for error despite their slim majority.
Democratic strategist Jon Reinish argued that the party is facing a “generational crisis” in leadership, with an aging caucus and outdated messaging undermining its ability to connect with younger voters.
According to LabNews, at the start of the 119th Congress, the average age of House Democrats was 59 years old, with Republicans slightly lower at 57 years old.
While historically seen as the “party of the future,” Democrats now lag Republicans in cultivating younger lawmakers. Reinish said the House, in particular, has resisted passing the torch, even after high-profile deaths in office created avoidable political consequences.
“We’ve had several members die in office, unbelievably, including the fact that had these members not died in office, and had actually handed their seats over to the next generation of leaders, Republicans would not have been able to pass their quote, unquote, big, beautiful bill,” Reinish said.
Reinish likened the situation of Washington, D.C., Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton to that of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who died in office in 2023 after a long period of visible health struggles. He questioned whether leaders of such advanced age can remain the strong, visible advocates their constituents need in moments of crisis.
Norton, 88, has faced quiet but persistent concerns from D.C. Council members and congressional colleagues about whether she should seek another term. In June, she twice told reporters she planned to run for reelection, only for her spokeswoman, Sharon Nichols, to walk back the remarks shortly afterward. The Washington Examiner sought an update from her office but received no response.
While the city’s longtime delegate issued several statements on Monday, she was notably absent from any press events with Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday. This was just hours after President Donald Trump announced he would place the D.C. police department “under direct federal control” and deploy National Guard troops to the capital.
“Washington’s voice in Congress has been revealed to be a Dianne Feinstein–type situation in which her age and human frailties are so advanced — does one expect her to be the forceful voice that Washington, D.C., and its hundreds of thousands of taxpaying yet underrepresented constituents need right now? I don’t think so,” Reinish said.
Several senior Senate Democrats have recently announced they will not seek reelection in 2026, signaling a modest generational shift in the chamber. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) have all said they will retire at the end of their terms, opening seats in both competitive and safe Democratic states. Reinish credited these moves as a sign the Senate is “starting to get the message,” while warning that the House’s entrenched seniority system still encourages members to stay “too long at the fair.”
A senior aide to a Democratic Senator said recent events have underscored the value of energetic, highly visible lawmakers who can connect directly with voters outside Washington.
“This extended district work period has already exemplified why younger members of Congress are so important. They are holding town halls, meeting with constituents, and getting our message out there. We desperately need that energy in a moment like this,” the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to reflect candidly on the situation.
The aide’s comments come as questions of age and generational change loom over several looming contests. 78-year-old Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) may now face 36-year-old House Progressive Caucus Chairman Greg Casar (D-TX) as Republicans in the Lone Star State attempt to redraw the congressional map. Their districts could be merged, making for a possible heated primary between two incumbents, where age could serve as a large issue. Doggett’s office did not respond to the Washington Examiner for comment.
“So in the case of congresswoman DeLauro, of course, she has long, long, long represented her district for decades,” Reinish, the Democratic strategist, said. “And you know, same with her and with congressman Doggett. You know with that seniority comes policy and legislative expertise, and that is so much a part of the value proposition of that House career, where you really know policies so well and can make change in these very fine details that one would only know after that long and rich career.”
“But you have to balance it with, so carefully, especially these days, after all of these instances and crises that are largely self-inflicted, that I have referred to you, have to balance that with knowing not to stay too long at the fair and knowing when it’s time,” he continued.
Primaries are common for both political parties as an election cycle approaches and can indicate a sea change in politics. A wave of establishment Republicans was ousted in the 2010s during the tea party movement as voters were frustrated by Washington not doing enough on fiscal troubles or reducing the federal government’s reach.
As health issues have affected Democrats in Congress, a large push has begun to primary older members.
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), 70, is facing a primary from his former congressional staffer, Jake Rakov. Saikat Chakrabarti, 39, the former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), is primarying former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who is 85. Influencer and former liberal watchdog group staffer Kat Abughazaleh, 26, announced her candidacy against 81-year-old incumbent Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the longest-serving House Democrat who is 86 years old, has also garnered a primary challenger from a 35-year-old, making age a key issue.
ROSE DELAURO HOSPITALIZED, WILL UNDERGO SURGERY FOR SPINAL STENOSIS
While DeLauro plans to seek another term, she has been met with a primary challenger from Damjan DeNoble, who has targeted her age as a concern, saying, “our old Democratic leaders won’t pass the torch.”
Ravok, the former congressional staffer challenging Sherman, echoed the sentiment, telling the Washington Examiner, “In my case, do you not see that there is another generation of people ready to step in and lead, and be able to actually maintain, and like fight at a stronger voice, and in a smarter way, in a more modern way?”