Unpleasant questions emerged in California as Democrats work on how to recover from their losses in November.
Are their leaders simply too old?
Some party activists want to take political keys from states and local office holders at certain ages, pointing to some examples of leaders who were in power past Prime.
The idea, launched by the San Francisco Democrats in a resolution, will be considered by statewide parties when they hold the treaty later this month. It is primarily a symbolic pursuit, but the fact that the conversation is at all going on is remarkable in places known for respecting its elder leader.
California is Diane Feinstein, and was appointed in 2023 at the age of 90. It is also home to Jerry Brown, who served two terms as governor in the 1970s. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 85-year-old former House Speaker. And former councillor Barbara Lee, who was elected mayor of Oakland at the age of 78 last month.
Not all of these leaders caused concern, some have achieved great successes later in life, bringing the gravity and fortitude that comes with experience.
However, many Democrats still have regrets about Senator Feinstein's tenure, even after key health issues have been revealed and questions have been raised about their ability to focus and make decisions.
They likewise recall their surprise at Judge Ruth Budder Ginsberg's decision not to step down from the Supreme Court while President Barack Obama is in office. She died at the age of 87 in President Trump's first term, giving him the opportunity to replace her with conservative justice.
However, last year, former President Joseph R. Biden was running the campaign at the age of 81. Many Democrats believe he will be waiting long for him to resign, and have taken the party of time to make an effective effort to defeat Trump.
San Francisco Democrat Eric Kingsbury said of Biden's decline: “We can't act like it didn't happen. “Everyone saw it with their own eyes and a lot of people told them what they saw wasn't true.”
Kingsbury, 36, is a member of the lesser-known but powerful local and central committee of Democratic County. He said he wrote the resolution as a direct response to Biden, a long-time racer, and some Democrats even harassed him with discussing how to clear the path for younger candidates.
His resolution called for the exploration of mandatory retirement age for all elected and appointed leaders at the state and local levels, not federal positions such as Congress. In particular, we did not specify a specific age.
The proposal was passed last month, but only after intense conversations. Some opposition pointed out that Sen. Bernie Sanders, 83, who has become independent from Vermont, is one of the few leaders who are now revitalizing the left.
“It's offensive,” said Connie Chan, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and a member of the local party committee who voted for no. “It's ageism. It's discrimination against people who have experience.”
The resolution will be considered by hundreds of California Democrats in this month's treaty, but it may not have progressed much. Even so, state law is necessary, passed by legislature, signed by the governor, and imposes age restrictions.
If that were to happen, California would be the first state to force national and local politicians to retire at a certain age. Thirty-one states are forced to retire, not California. The most common cutoff is 70, but Vermont can serve as a judge until he is 90 years old.
Age is not just about democratic concerns. Last year, voters in Republican-led state North Dakota approved a measure that would prohibit candidates from running for Congress if they are over 81 by the end of the year before their term ends. However, the measures did not affect state and local office holders. Additionally, if a file lawsuit was filed with 10 candidates, they could face legal challenges.
In 2023, Republicans raised concerns after Sen. Mitch McConnell, the 81-year-old Republican leader, physically froze while asking questions at a press conference.
There are federal policies that require forced retirement for occupations that already require a focused focus. Airline pilots must retire at age 65, air traffic controllers must generally retire at age 56, and military officers must generally leave at age 64.
Of course, those above the federal enforcement department are not facing retirement age. Although he was very focused on Biden last year, many Democrats quickly pointed out that Trump would be 82 by the end of his term.
“There must be concerns about Donald Trump's age,” said Scott Winner, a 54-year-old Democratic state senator who believes the president is wreaking havoc on the economy and international relations. He recently stopped a Central Committee vote on age resolutions.
Beyond California, David Hogg, a 25-year-old political activist who survived the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida and is now vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said Democrats must quash “a culture of seniority politics.” Through our worthy leaders, he has pledged to spend $20 million to support young, leading candidates against older, established Democrats.
California Democrat Ro Khanna, 48, has long spurred generational change in politics, and praised “wisdom” for 80-year-old Sen. Sen. Dick Durbin, who recently decided not to seek another term.
Americans seem to support the idea of ​​retirement age, a must for office holders. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that before Biden's age-related difficulties were revealed, 79% of Americans supported age-restrictions for elected officials in Washington, and 74% supported them with Supreme Court judges.
Some Northern California residents said that despite acknowledging the sensitiveness of the topic, a mandatory retirement age may make sense. Marcel Maldonado, a 67-year-old retiree from Dixon, California, said he believes politicians should retire by the age of 65 or 70 to create a room for people with “fresh eyes and fresh ears.” However, she was not optimistic that such a mission would pass, as the politician himself had to approve it.
In Auckland, Nicole Baratt, a 30-year-old plant store employee, felt it strange that many occupations required people to leave by the age of 65, but the country's leaders said they don't have such rules.
“They were very isolated after being in office for a really long time,” she said.
More than 70 politicians did not reply to requests for comment. These include Lee, who will be sworn as Oakland Mayor later this month, and former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigoza, 72, who is running for governor of California in the 2026 race.
John Burton, a former San Francisco lawmaker who resigned as California's Democratic chairman eight years ago, said he doesn't like the idea of ​​time limits and age restrictions. He took umbrella to the notion that he was at an age.
“Jesus, don't call me an elder politician,” he complained in his trademark thorny style. “I've never heard it describe me.”
He is 92 years old.
John Laird, a 75-year-old state senator from Santa Cruz, said the idea of ​​age restriction was “arbitrarily voluntarily and stupid” and felt sharper and engaged than when he was elected to Santa Cruz City Council at the age of 31.
He added that California term limits will help resolve the issue. He was released when he was 78 years old.
“My staff were spending field days telling me what to say when you called,” he said with a laugh. “Wait, I can't hear you!” and “Wait, my cardiologist is on the other line!”
Laws that present an age cap will be at the desk of Governor Gavin Newsom, 57, if handed over. He's not a huge fan. He said that politicians need “young qualities” such as imagination and acuteness, but those attributes do not decline at each individual's age.
“We all handle life a little differently, both physically and emotionally,” he said.
Some Democrats observed that if California tried to impose age restrictions on members of Congress, Pelosi would not speak for a second time and would not have exercised the impact she still had as a lawmaker. In her act last year, it was to encourage President Biden to leave the 2024 race.
Last month, the San Francisco Central Committee resolution passed with 15 AYE votes, eight denials and eight abstentions.
One committee member may have felt it more strongly than the others.
Pelosi voted for the age limit through her representative. She has yet to say whether she will run for another term next year.
Coral Murphy Marcos Contributed with a report from Oakland, California.
