Mitch McConnell

Sen. Mitch McConnell's Hospitalization Proves Again That Gerontocracy Sucks

McConnell is no outlier: The U.S. Senate is the oldest directly elected upper legislative chamber in the world.

Ronald Bailey | 7.10.2026 3:55 PM

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"We have a sclerotic gerontocracy," posted then-48-year-old Rep. Ro Khanna (D–Calif.) back in 2024. Gerontocracy means rule by the old. And we Americans certainly are dominated by a cadre of elderly politicians. The U.S. Senate has the oldest average age of members for any directly elected........

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