‘No Congress for old men’ — young Democrats want generational change

Change is in the air.  

Ever since Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016, every election has witnessed a dissatisfied public voting for change. Today, another change is in the works. Trump’s poll ratings are at historic lows, and consumer confidence has sunk to its lowest level since 1952.  

Democrats expect to benefit from this rising tidal wave of dissatisfaction. But unlike the midterm election of 2018, the Democrats are poised not just to win control of Congress but also to make profound changes both in substance and style.

Today’s Congress is the third oldest in history, and Democrats are demanding generational change. Leading that effort is David Hogg, founder of Leaders We Deserve, who has committed $20 million to ousting elderly Democratic officeholders. According to Hogg, “While Trump creates new existential crises every day, too many elected leaders in the Democratic Party are either unwilling or unable to meet the moment.”

The demand for change has been heard. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), aged 85, is retiring. Pelosi’s longtime deputy, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), aged 86, also called it quits. The lone survivor of Pelosi’s leadership team, Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), aged 85, is running again, but expectations are that this will be his last term. 

A microcosm of this year’s political climate can be found in Massachusetts’s 8th Congressional District, which includes parts of Boston and its southern suburbs. Incumbent Democrat Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), aged 71, is being primaried by Patrick Roath, a 39-year-old voting rights advocate and former chair of Common........

© The Hill