The Gerontocracy Claim/Lie

[JustAnotherGen]

Last edited Tue May 27, 2025, 09:23 AM - Edit history (1)

This past week, ‘progressive’ social media influencers tried to claim that we are in a “Gerontocracy,” so let’s review the age and generational make-up of the 119th Congress.

https://candidlytiff.substack.com/p/analysis-are-we-in-a-gerontocracy

The Senate does skew much older than the House of Representatives, but as a reminder, in 2024 the Democratic Caucus had five retirements. Senators Ben Cardin (MD), Tom Carper (DE) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) did not seek re-election. Independent Senators Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) also did not seek re-election.

With that said, in 2024 six new Democratic Senators were elected to the Senate:

New Jersey: Andy Kim (42) was elected to the seat previously held by Bob Menendez (71) who resigned in 2024
Arizona: Ruben Gallego (45) replaced Krysten Sinema (48)
Maryland: Angela Alsobrooks (54) replaced Ben Cardin (81)
California: Adam Schiff (64) was elected to the seat previously held by Dianne Feinstein (90) who passed away in 2023
Delaware: Lisa Blunt-Rochester (63) replaced Tom Carper (77)
Michigan: Elissa Slotkin (48) replaced Debbie Stabenow (75)

The Silent Generation House Democrats include Representatives:
Maxine Waters (86)
Stent Hoyer (85) [sic]
Nancy Pelosi (85)
Jim Clyburn (84)
Danny Davis (83)
Frederica Wilson (82)
Rosa DeLauro (81)
Jan Schakowsky (80) — not seeking re-election
Delores Matsui (80)
Emmanuel Cleaver (80)
John Garamendi (80)
Bonnie Watson Coleman (80)
Jim Baird (80)

In my opinion, yelling or berating them won’t make them retire any sooner. They should be given the grace to decide whether to seek re-election or not. You cannot bully older people into retirement.

As far as newly elected House members, the median age is around 50 years old for Democrats and 51 for Republicans.

PEW Link:
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/01/16/age-and-generation-in-the-119th-congress-somewhat-younger-with-fewer-boomers-and-more-gen-xers/

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So my question- how old is too old? I've bolded the House Reps who are Black Americans. Those people aren't old, tired and out of touch. They are old warriors. I'd personally like to see David Hogg move to any of their districts and see how far he or any 25 year old white male does in that District.

Senators are always going to skew older. They have to be 30 to take office.

At this point - I think the only way we get to the magical unicorn of a Gen Z Trifecta is for them to.make moves at the local, county, and state level - work their way up, and in 20/25 years make sure they are the House, Senate, and White House.

Being 30 and under doesn't entitle anyone to any Federal office. Show me what you can do in your municipality and /or state Legislature before you demand I cede hard earned power.

Especially those Silent Generation Black members of the house. Representation matters.

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Jan Schakowsky has it right, in my view

The Party needs to think about the future. We can't keep losing caucus in a tight Congress due to age. That being said, each knows their health concerns at any age over 60 or 70. Longevity should be considered. And who's to say they wouldn't all be better off, and the country better off, if they had a few years of retirement to be with family, write the memoirs, tutor younger politicians.

Jan Schakowsky has it right, in my view. Don't know why she chose to retire, but if you've had enough or have health concerns, those should be a factor in decision-making about running again. They owe their constituents good decision-making, not their lives until they drop on the floor.

Btw, it's Steny Hoyer, not Stent Hoyer.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. Keeping the stent

As that is what copy paste has

[bucolic_frolic]

8. Yes, I kind of got that, perhaps the journalist was inserting

a real poke at older politicians. Stent indeed.

[JustAnotherGen]

3. "The Party needs to think about the future"

So what's your final top age for the House and then the Senate?

50 for house? 65 for the Senate?

ETA - I'm a solid Gen X. I never hear the Z's talk about maintaining my Social Security. Modeled when I was a child - so at 52 I have 44 years in the till.

[Fiendish Thingy]

4. Three Dem reps over 70 have died since January

Trump’s BBB passed by one vote a couple of weeks ago.

Stats and charts don’t tell the whole story.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. They don't?

So is your top have for a House Rep Candidate 68?

Because the numbers are pretty clear.

There are a lot of folks who would raise high holy hell if Sanders was asked to not run for President or Senate again. He's 83.

Connolly - 75
Turner - 70
Grijalva - 77

They were all younger than the Senator. A woman three doors down from me just died of breast cancer at 48.

Anyone can die. I'm 52. Is that too old to serve in office.

[Fiendish Thingy]

6. Spend some time with actuarial tables

Chances of dying increase with age.

With a razor thin margin in the house, having at least two members over 70 with cancer (Grijalva and Connolly) was a bad idea- they should have retired before 2024.

Bernie isn’t going to run for president again, so that is a moot point, but I do think his current term should be his last.

[JustAnotherGen]

7. I'm well aware of the actuarial tables

The question remains- is 68 the last age that would be acceptable for a Member of the House to run?

I could make a strong argument that fellow Black women of an age to give birth shouldn't be allowed to serve - because we know our ability to survive childbirth/pregnancy is dismal . . . at best.

Example - should Lauren Underwood and Jasmine Crockett be kept from running? You won't find us in those actuarial tables. Its yet another one of America's dirty little secrets.

Or is that data not allowed to be included? My niece Ayana almost died in NJ at 24 due to pregnancy. Throwing up in her sleep. The doctor said she was young and would be ok. What if someone says that to Rep. Crockett?

One thing I find admirable about the maga Pubs is that tribe sticks together. They never throw away their old or eat their young.

[Fiendish Thingy]

11. Tribalism is not what we need. Nt

[JustAnotherGen]

12. Says Who?

That's the kind of thinking that loses elections.

The maga Repubs are dominating us now because they welcome people under their tent - but top down stick to their ideology.

Their voters will forgive anything.

We'll turn traitor on the Democratic candidate if we don't like the color of their socks.

2026 is already showing a rift - Status Quo Progressives vs. Pragmatic Dominating Liberals.

[Fiendish Thingy]

15. Tribalism requires an in group and an out group

And it prioritizing of group membership over critical thinking leads to racism and nationalism.

No thanks.

[JustAnotherGen]

16. Tribalism can be used to define

Evil and good. The evil admit they were wrong and atone. Rwanda did it effectively. Germany has done a stellar job of demeaning and humiliating evil.

We failed. We failed after the Civil War.

The Progressive fever dream of kumbaya ain't happening this time. We punish them. We aren't going back to the Stat Quo.

It fucks over Black Americans. Just stay out of our way. We've never been vengeful to our own detriment. It's time. Time to tap into the Tudors.

[Renew Deal]

9. What's the lie?

[JustAnotherGen]

13. The Sky Is Falling

A 70 year old man died in office.

All Democrats at (insert the age of your choice) must give 25 and 30 year olds the seat. Incumbent Advantage be damned.

Like I'm seriously thinking of stepping down from my Council Seat so an 18 year old can determine my property taxes. Jesus Christ! Gen X? We fucking old!

[W_HAMILTON]

18. Another thing that people fail to point out is that these older representatives THAT WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE ELECTING...

...have proven their values through decades of being in politics.

Contrast that with someone like Kyrsten fucking Sinema, former progressive posterchild who went from Green Party to an Independent damn near caucusing with the Republicans in about ~15 years' time.

If we start electing leaders based on "being young" rather than their actual credentials and proven values, expect more turncoats like this.

[JustAnotherGen]

19. ITA

The chance of Maxine Waters turning traitor on us? Zero to Nil.

I'd love to hear Working Families Party leadership give their thoughts on NJ and NY candidates flipping on their values to obtain the Democratic Nominations.

[brer cat]

10. K&R

[JustAnotherGen]

14. Thank you

I'm convinced this is coming from David Host's team so that more 25 year old white men can get laid.

[W_HAMILTON]

17. If they are upset by who we vote to represent us, they should get their lazy asses off social media and EARN OUR VOTE.

[muriel_volestrangler]

20. Compared to the British House of Commons, yes, it's a gerontocracy

https://www.statista.com/statistics/871211/age-of-mps-in-the-uk-parliament/

In 2019 election:
18-29: 21
30-39: 115
40-49: 188
50-59: 200
60-60: 105:
70+: 21