Incoming senators are nearly 15 years younger than departing ones, on average. But the chamber’s overall age isn’t shifting much.
Nov. 7, 2026Updated 3:17 p.m. ET
When the new Senate convenes in January, it will welcome some (relatively) young new legislators. A few are even millennials, including James Talarico of Texas, 37, and Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, 42, two Democrats who may have energized young voters to turn out.
But their effect on the average age of the Senate — which has crept up over the last few decades — will be small. The senators of the 120th Congress will be less than a year younger, on average, than the Senate’s current members were at the start of the 119th Congress two years ago. That’s because so many sitting senators are old, and getting older.
These numbers assume that Mary Peltola and Scott Colom will win their races in Alaska and Mississippi; they were both ahead in the vote count Saturday. (If both lose, the Senate’s average age will land at 63.6.)
There should be term limits
It’s harder to argue for an age limit, because the issue of representation comes up. There are even pensioners’ parties here and there. The Netherlands, for instance, has a party called 50 Plus that represents people 50 and above. It wouldn’t be surprising if those voters wanted to elect someone over 70 to represent them.
It’s also easier to argue for term limits since they’re already in use for the presidency. Maximum age limits are uncommon all around the world
I do understand that this still wouldn’t prevent people like Sleepy Don or Mitch McFrozen from taking office though… But then you look at Bernie Sanders and he’s not sleepy at all. If anything, he’s at the peak of his career. So there’s my conundrum.
EDIT: Maybe it should be like a driver’s licence, where you have to do a medical check-up every few years! You fail it, you lose it. But something like that would be vulnerable to corruption