Why Older Lawmakers May Wait Too Long to Step Aside
Older lawmakers often stay because incumbency, staff loyalty and party pressure make retirement costly, and many fear losing influence or facing a tough successor race.
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3 Articles
The Conversation
Beckley Register-HeraldWhy older lawmakers may wait too long to step aside
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is 93. He hasn't said whether he's going to run again in 2028. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesU.S. Sen. Ed Markey is 80 and has served in Congress for half a century. His Democratic primary challenger in Massachusetts, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, is 47 and made generational change a centerpiece of his campaign. Markey won the Sept. 1, 2026, primary anyway by nearly 30 percentage points. He’s not the o…
Why older lawmakers may wait too long to step aside
by Nancy Forster-Holt, University of Rhode Island, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] U.S. Sen. Ed Markey is 80 and has served in Congress for half a century. His Democratic primary challenger in Massachusetts, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, is 47 and made generational change a centerpiece of his campaign. Markey won the Sept. 1, 2026, primary anyway by nearly 30 percentage points. He’s not the only octogenar…
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