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Pass the Torch to a New Generation of Leaders

It is time for the MI Generation to stand up and take their place in the decision making body of the United States. It is time for the old guard to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders.

The MI Generation is defined as those who were born between 1980 and 2018. They represent about 150 million Americans and make up about 32% of eligible voters. By 2020, members of the MI generation will represent the largest and most powerful voting bloc in the United States.

Did you know there are 70 members of the House of Representatives that are over 70 years old?

During the first Democratic Primary debate of 2020, Congressman Eric Swalwell suggested it is “time to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans” to former Vice President Joe Biden. In the same vein, it is also time for congresspersons in their seventies to pass the torch to the MI Generation.

Leaders over 70 Years Old

The following is a list of seventy congresspersons in the 116th Congress who are seventy years old; some are in their eighties. Furthermore, about forty of them have been in Congress for at least twenty years including one for forty-six years. The list is sorted by age in descending order with the oldest being at the top.

Congressional District Name Party Year Assumed Office Age Years in Congress
1 Alaska at-large Don Young R 1973 85 46
2 Texas 30 Eddie Bernice Johnson D 1993 83 26
3 California 32 Grace Napolitano D 1999 82 20
4 Florida 20 Alcee Hastings D 1993 82 26
5 New Jersey 9 Bill Pascrell D 1997 82 22
6 Kentucky 5 Hal Rogers R 1981 81 38
7 New York 17 Nita Lowey D 1989 81 30
8 California 43 Maxine Waters D 1991 80 28
9 Georgia 5 John Lewis D 1987 79 32
10 Maryland 5 Steny Hoyer D 1981 79 38

Congressional District Name Party Year Assumed Office Age Years in Congress
1 Alaska at-large Don Young R 1973 85 46
2 Texas 30 Eddie Bernice Johnson D 1993 83 26
3 California 32 Grace Napolitano D 1999 82 20
4 Florida 20 Alcee Hastings D 1993 82 26
5 New Jersey 9 Bill Pascrell D 1997 82 22
6 Kentucky 5 Hal Rogers R 1981 81 38
7 New York 17 Nita Lowey D 1989 81 30
8 California 43 Maxine Waters D 1991 80 28
9 Georgia 5 John Lewis D 1987 79 32
10 Maryland 5 Steny Hoyer D 1981 79 38
11 California 12 Nancy Pelosi D 1987 78 32
12 Florida 27 Donna Shalala D 2019 78 0
13 North Carolina 4 David Price D 1997 78 22
14 South Carolina 6 Jim Clyburn D 1993 78 26
15 California 40 Lucille Roybal-Allard D 1993 77 26
16 California 47 Alan Lowenthal D 2013 77 6
17 Illinois 7 Danny Davis D 1997 77 22
18 Texas 31 John Carter R 2003 77 16
19 California 18 Anna Eshoo D 1993 76 26
20 Florida 24 Frederica Wilson D 2011 76 8
21 North Carolina 3 Walter Jones R 1995 76 24
22 Texas 12 Kay Granger R 1997 76 22
23 California 8 Paul Cook R 2013 75 6
24 Connecticut 3 Rosa DeLauro D 1991 75 28
25 New York 15 José Serrano D 1991 75 28
26 North Carolina 5 Virginia Foxx R 2005 75 14
27 Wisconsin 5 Jim Sensenbrenner R 1979 75 40
28 California 3 John Garamendi D 2009 74 10
29 California 53 Susan Davis D 2001 74 18
30 California 6 Doris Matsui D 2005 74 14
31 Illinois 9 Jan Schakowsky D 1999 74 20
32 Minnesota 7 Collin Peterson D 1991 74 28
33 Missouri 5 Emanuel Cleaver D 2005 74 14
34 New Jersey 12 Bonnie Watson Coleman D 2015 74 4
35 New York 2 Peter King R 1993 74 26
36 Arizona 1 Tom O’Halleran D 2017 73 2
37 Georgia 13 David Scott D 2003 73 16
38 Indiana 4 James Baird R 2019 73 0
39 New York 12 Carolyn Maloney D 1993 73 26
40 Tennessee 1 Phil Roe R 2009 73 10
41 California 13 Barbara Lee D 1999 72 20
42 Georgia 2 Sanford Bishop D 1993 72 26
43 Illinois 1 Bobby Rush D 1993 72 26
44 Maryland 2 Dutch Ruppersberger D 2003 72 16
45 Michigan 1 Jack Bergman R 2017 72 2
46 New York 16 Eliot Engel D 1989 72 30
47 North Carolina 12 Alma Adams D 2015 72 4
48 Ohio 9 Marcy Kaptur D 1983 72 36
49 Texas 35 Lloyd Doggett D 1995 72 24
50 Arizona 3 Raúl Grijalva D 2003 71 16
51 California 19 Zoe Lofgren D 1995 71 24
52 Florida 8 Bill Posey R 2009 71 10
53 Kentucky 3 John Yarmuth D 2007 71 12
54 Mississippi 2 Bennie Thompson D 1993 71 26
55 New York 10 Jerry Nadler D 1993 71 26
56 North Carolina 1 G. K. Butterfield D 2004 71 15
57 Oregon 4 Peter DeFazio D 1987 71 32
58 South Carolina 2 Joe Wilson R 2002 71 17
59 Texas 9 Al Green D 2005 71 14
60 Vermont at-large Peter Welch D 2007 71 12
61 Virginia 3 Bobby Scott D 1993 71 26
62 West Virginia 1 David McKinley R 2011 71 8
63 Connecticut 1 John Larson D 1999 70 20
64 Florida 21 Lois Frankel D 2013 70 6
65 Florida 5 Al Lawson D 2017 70 2
66 Massachusetts 1 Richard Neal D 1989 70 30
67 Oregon 3 Earl Blumenauer D 1997 70 22
68 Pennsylvania 16 Mike Kelly R 2011 70 8
69 Texas 11 Mike Conaway R 2005 70 14
70 Texas 36 Brian Babin R 2015 70 4

Data as of March 1, 2020
Sources: Ballotpedia, Washington Post, Votesmart.org
Author has made his best effort towards the accuracy of the data. Please send any updates/discrepancies to: contact@munirmoon.com