Democrats' generational tensions reach boiling point in House primaries

The Hill

4 days ago

A growing number of young Democrats have launched primary bids against the party's old guard in recent months, underscoring generational tensions that burst into the open following former Vice President Kamala Harris's defeat in November.
Former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) last week drew a primary challenger 50 years his junior in Harry Jarin, who cast the incumbent as representative of 'a bygone era.' He follows a number of other young candidates who have launched primary bids against veteran Democratic lawmakers.
The trend comes amid renewed anxiety within the party over the issue of age, spurred by new revelations about former President Biden and the recent deaths of several older House members.
'A lot of politicians in Washington, they stew in this environment in D.C., sometimes for decades at a time, and they lose touch with young people and working people and people outside the beltway,' Jarin told The Hill.
'I think that's the reason for the sudden surge of primary challengers: We've now spent our whole lives seeing the same Democratic leaders do the same unproductive things in Congress and not actually deliver results.'
Jarin, a 35-year-old volunteer firefighter and former 'Jeopardy!' contestant, is vying for the seat in Maryland's 5th Congressional District that Hoyer, 85, has held since his election in 1981. Hoyer, who won in November by more than 30 points, hasn't announced whether he'll seek reelection to a 24th term in 2026.
In California, 39-year-old tech millionaire Saikat Chakrabarti, a veteran of Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) 2016 campaign and former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), is challenging 85-year-old former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D), who hasn't formally announced plans but reportedly filed paperwork to run for her 21st term.
Another California incumbent, Rep. Brad Sherman (D), who at 70 is seeking his 16th House term, drew a challenge from a former deputy press secretary, Jake Rakov, 37.
In Illinois, social media influencer Kat Abughazaleh, 26, launched a bid in March for Rep. Jan Schakowsky's (D) seat, contending that 'the same old s— isn't working.' Schakowsky, 80, later decided against trying for a 15th term, saying 'it is now time for me to pass the baton.'
The campaigns are cropping up as Democrats grapple with broader questions about generational disconnect.
'Frankly, I do think we need sharper, new, fresh perspectives to address the challenges of today,' said Everton Blair, a 33-year-old educator who's challenging 12-term incumbent Rep. David Scott (D), 79, in Georgia's 13th Congressional District.
'When I think about the logistical conversation about age, it's like, you want folks that can last through a couple cycles, get to the place where they're still sharp and still able to get something done, and then they can also be a key part of the conversation and moving us forward for the next generation, and then building a bench while we still have time to build a bench,' Blair told The Hill.
The 2024 election also raised red flags for Democrats that young voters, especially young men, are shifting right.
'It's worth noting that Republicans in Congress have definitely had a lot more turnover in the last decade than Democrats have. And I don't know that you could draw a direct line to some of the gains or unexpected dynamics folks are seeing with young voters, but it's certainly the case,' said Kaivan Shroff, a Democratic strategist and veteran of the Generation Z group Dream for America.
The conversations have taken on a new sense of urgency in recent weeks with the release of multiple books that have ramped up scrutiny on Biden's health. The public recriminations that have emerged following the release of the books have also played out as the party reels from the recent deaths of three Democrats in the House.
'Six members of Congress have died in the last 16 months, and all of them were Democrats over age 65. So, I mean, I don't see how you can look at the situation and not say, 'Hey, we have a serious problem,'' Jarin told The Hill. 'I'm not putting down any of these people or the work that they've done. But we have to be realistic.'
Republicans have also grappled with their own age-related issues for years. But the questions have been felt more acutely by Democrats in recent months as they search for answers following former Harris's devastating loss to Trump in November.
Cheyenne Hunt, executive director of Gen-Z for Change, said some may be hesitant to talk about age issues, especially as there are many older lawmakers who are 'clearly still kicking and getting the job done.'
'But at the same time, this is a fundamental threat to our ability to govern, and so it simply cannot continue to be this way,' said Hunt, who mounted a bid to become the first Gen Z woman in Congress last year. 'The unwillingness to make space for new voices, particularly new voices that in general, are further left [than the] party establishment, is going to be a very, very serious threat to the party, and they're moving further and further away from where young voters are.'
Still, young candidates and activists alike stress age isn't enough to make a winning pitch for the House.
'To me, it's not really about generational change, because there are older members that are meeting the moment and that are very good at what they do,' said George Hornedo, 34, who's running for the seat held by nine-term Rep. André Carson (D-Ind.). 'There can be younger members of Congress that aren't particularly strong.'
'It's about efficacy and accountability and being results-oriented,' he added. 'It's not enough to just say, 'Hey, I'm young and I'm fresh.' It's about being serious. It's about being strategic. It's about being able to take on a broken system and win.'
Leaders We Deserve, a group helmed by Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg, launched an initiative last month aimed at elevating a new generation of leaders by supporting primary challenges against House Democrats in safe seats. The plans drew pushback as some fret about the high stakes in 2026, but Hogg stressed that it's not 'all about age.'
'There are older people who are great; there are young people who suck,' Hogg told MSNBC. He also told The Washington Post that his initiative has ruled out supporting challenges to Hoyer and Pelosi, among others.
As 2026 approaches, young Americans are 'looking for new conversations,' Shroff said.
'If this next wave of young candidates doesn't bring that, then it's the same old, same old.'