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.)
yeah the social sevurity thing seems like it would create some incentives we don’t want.
do like the medicare thing.
You don’t want an effective retirement age of …checks Wikipedia …95 (Chuck grassleys age at the end of his term in 2028)?
Huh, I guess you must be lazy. These silly forgotten generation kids just don’t know how to work anymore. /s
its true. I work almost as little as a congressman. why do you think I have so much time for posting?