Congress has two dozen lawmakers 80 or older; more than half seeking re-election in 2026: report

While some prominent elderly members of the House of Representatives and Senate have announced that they will not pursue re-election, others in the 80 or older age bracket are aiming to keep their jobs even longer.

Out of 24 figures from the Silent Generation serving in Congress, 13 have opted to run again in 2026, according to a review by NBC News. The outlet appears to be including Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, of Washington, D.C. in that tally of 13. 

NBC News assesses that the 119th Congress is the third-oldest in U.S. history. A few of the senators in the batch of two dozen lawmakers have terms that stretch beyond this year, so they have time to decide on their political futures. 

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It seems to remain unclear whether Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., will run again. The congressman has said he will decide in the coming weeks, according to NBC.

“I don’t know what the Silent Generation is. I didn’t know that we were silent,” Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho quipped, according to the outlet. “You got to like the job, and you got to have enough time to spend with your family, and you got to have your health, and if you’ve got your health, and you’re doing what you want to do, why not?”

The senator will turn 83 later this year and would be 89 by the end of another six-year Senate term.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., will turn 88 later this year prior to Election Day.

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“My work is not finished, and I don’t know if it will ever be finished,” the congresswoman told the outlet.

NBC News reported that 88-year-old Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., noted, “As long as I can be helpful to the constituents I represent, I’ll keep working.”

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But some longtime congressional figures, like Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., a former House Speaker, have announced that they will not run for re-election.