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3 days ago

An 86-year-old Congress member explains why he won’t retire

Rep. James Clyburn announces he is running for a 18th term on March 12, 2026, during a press conference at the South Carolina Democratic Party. | Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images The gerontocracy is real: The median senator is 64 years old, and 20 members of Congress are over 80. One legal scholar called it the “old-igarchy.” It seems the combination of President Donald Trump’s recent 80th birthday, the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, and the currently unknown health status of Sen. Mitch McConnell has called collective attention to the advanced age of o...