"It's pissing people off": Older Dems are sick of hearing about "generational change"
· Axios
Congressional Democrats in their 70s and 80s who are seeking reelection are tired of hearing that they are incapable of doing their jobs due to age — and they're gearing up to push back.
Why it matters: More than half a dozen House Democrats who are 70 or older are trailing at least one younger primary insurgent in fundraising, and those elections are fast approaching.
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- But to hear some veteran House Democrats tell it, this is nothing out of the ordinary. "There has never been an election where you have not had challenges to incumbents and a few incumbents losing," Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) told reporters Wednesday.
- "I have no idea why this is the year to write this story, except that Joe Biden was old. I think voters will just pick who's doing the best job."
- Constant internal talk of generational change over the last several years is "pissing people off," a senior House Democrat told Axios. "The seasoned members, they're pissed off."
State of play: Sherman, 71, is part of a large cohort of older House Democrats facing stiff competition from at least one well-funded and younger primary challenger.
- Having raised $1.4 million compared to 41-year-old challenger Jake Levine's $1.1 million, Sherman is faring better than some of his colleagues.
- Reps. David Scott (D-Ga.), 80; Al Green (D-Texas), 78; John Larson (D-Conn.), 77; Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), 76; Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), 75; Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), 71; and Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), 70, have all been out-raised by their primary rivals.
- House Democrats also consistently point to Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), 81, as a member nervous about their reelection. She faces 40-year-old Sacramento City Council member Mai Vang.
The latest: Green faced off against newly elected, 37-year-old Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas) for a single Houston-based seat on Tuesday, finishing with 44% of the vote to Menefee's 46%.
- Green's second-place finish came despite the cred he has garnered with the Democratic base for his efforts to impeach President Trump and his two ejections from Trump's speeches to Congress.
- Green and Menefee will go to a runoff in May. Green swatted away questions about the age factor on Wednesday, declaring, "I am generational change."
- That same night, Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.), 69, just barely squeaked out a win against progressive primary challenger Nida Allam, 32.
What they're saying: Longtime House Democrats facing insurgent challengers dismissed the notion that Tuesday's results represent a grim portent for their own races.
- "I'm feeling fine about my race," said Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii), 73, who is being challenged by two state legislators. "I'm not changing anything at all, regardless of what's going on in the continent or anywhere else in the United States."
- Cohen said he is "definitely" taking his race seriously, but he was not worried about the results in Texas and North Carolina.
- Lynch said he doesn't think age is "as important as what a member stands for," adding, "I've got a pretty moderate district, and I think people are worried about some of the economic things ... so that's not really a young vs. old type thing."
Yes, but: Some of these lawmakers acknowledged there is an anti-incumbency sentiment sweeping through the Democratic primary electorate right now.
- Said Case: "Obviously, the American people are not holding Congress in high esteem right now ... and so, of course, if you are feeling that way, you would want to take it out on somebody."
- "I mean, there are elements of concern about, you know, 'time for a change' or 'winds of change' or whatever. That's a fact," Larson told Axios.
- "But," he added, "it's not the fact. I think it still matters what you do in your district, and we do a lot of good work."
The bottom line: "Each race is individual," Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the retiring 86-year-old former House majority leader, told Axios when asked about the results in Texas and North Carolina.
- "I think Democrats are going to be just fine."