The issue of Joe Biden’s age toppled his reelection bid and the Democratic Party faced a drubbing as a result. But as many as four Senate Democrats over the age of 75 are either planning to — or are weighing — a run for reelection next year.
The lineup includes Massachusetts’ Ed Markey (age 78) and Rhode Island’s Jack Reed (age 75), who have said they plan to run for another six-year term. New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen (age 78) and Illinois’ Dick Durbin (age 80) have not yet announced their plans.
In a chamber where the median age at the start of the term was approximately 64 years old, age is still a touchy subject, to say the least. What’s more, these lawmakers’ bids would come at a time when the party is openly trying to rebuild after losing the House, Senate and White House last year and there’s been a push for new ideas and messengers. In the House, a series of younger Democrats sought to topple older committee leadership earlier this year.
“It’s a relevant factor,” said Sen. Peter Welch (age 77), who was the first Senate Democrat to call on Biden to step down. But, he added of age, “I think it is individualistic. Some people are in really good health at a later age than other people are.”
“Voters get to make the final say,” he noted.
All four senators are from safely blue states, though Republicans feel ambitious about New Hampshire. But they have faced primary challengers before — especially Markey, who was in a heated battle with former Rep. Joe Kennedy in 2020. But all of them face some risk of a primary as younger party leaders seek to break through.
Durbin hasn’t said if he’ll run yet, though several Illinois lawmakers have openly expressed interest in his seat. Asked whether it’s appropriate for age to be discussed regarding potential senator reelection bids, Durbin simply replied: “Sure.” When asked if age is a factor for him personally, he again replied only: “Sure.”
Shaheen also has not made any decisions on whether or not to run for reelection. When NOTUS asked Shaheen about the discussion within the Democratic Party about bringing in a younger generation of leaders — and noted that an open seat in her state would certainly have interested candidates — she interjected and insisted twice that this reporter “name three.” When this reporter did not, she replied, “Well, there you are.”
In a separate statement sent to NOTUS, Shaheen wrote: “The trust the people of New Hampshire have placed with me is a tremendous honor that I take very seriously — and in the coming months, I’ll be having conversations with folks in every corner of the Granite State about the challenges and opportunities we’re facing. I love representing New Hampshire and there will be plenty of time for conversations about 2026 later this year.”
A spokesperson for Markey did not respond to a request for comment on how age factors into his bid, but the senator told Boston’s WCVB television station in an interview last year on his bid that he feels more “energized” than ever and that “it’s not your age, it’s the age of your ideas.” A spokesperson for Reed, meanwhile, merely said the senator is running for reelection and gave no additional notes.
It’s not just Biden’s hazy legacy that’s sullied the optics of older lawmakers. Less than two years ago, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein died while in office after years of reports on her diminished mental acuity. Toward the end of her term, the 90-year-old Democrat was rarely at the Capitol in person. When she was, she was often in a wheelchair and visibly frail. She’s certainly not the first elderly senator to undergo that sort of downturn while in office.
Though for every Feinstein, there’s a Sen. Chuck Grassley who contradicts the point. At 91, the Republican Senate president pro tempore still moves nimbly around the Capitol, quips back at reporters and hardly ever misses a vote. Hill denizens point to him as evidence that aging doesn’t affect everyone equally.
“At least the last three elections — that would be over a 12-year period of time, 2010, 2016, 2022 — age has always been an issue in my campaign,” Grassley told NOTUS. “But they obviously considered it and rejected it.”
“It’s just a number. That’s what I always say,” he added.
Primaries are more than a year away, meaning incumbents mulling their decisions aren’t drastically holding up new competitors just yet.
There are other 70-something-year-old Democrats up for reelection next year, including Sens. John Hickenlooper (age 73) of Colorado and Mark Warner (age 70) of Virginia. Republicans aren’t without their own septuagenarians and octogenarians, too: Sen. Mitch McConnell is nearly 83 years old, but sparked retirement rumors after stepping down from leadership last term and has had several health episodes. Sen. James Risch of Idaho at 81 years old is also up for reelection. Neither have made any announcements.
Two Senate Democrats so far have announced they will not seek reelection in 2026: Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith (age 66) and Michigan’s Gary Peters. In her announcement, Smith said: “We have a deep bench of political talent in Minnesota, leaders that are more than ready to pick up the work and carry us forward. I’m excited to make room for them.”
She later told reporters she’d been considering how she wants to spend the next 10 years of her life, noting that she’s eager to “spend a little bit more time with my family.”
Peters last month said he would forgo another bid in part to “pass the reins for the next generation.” When asked if more candidates should do the same, he demurred.
“It is a really personal decision, but I personally think though that — as I said in my statement, — that this is kind of what our founders envisioned, was that you would be first a citizen, then you go serve a few terms, and you go back to your private life,” Peters said.
“So I’ve always had that in my mind that that was good for me. I’m not going to judge other people and what they do. But I think the founders were onto some things,” he added.
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Ursula Perano is a reporter at NOTUS.