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

More than a dozen members of Congress aged 80 or older have opted to run for another term in the 2026 election cycle, according to a review by NBC News.

U.S. Senator James Risch, Republican from Idaho, speaks to reporters following the weekly Senate Republicans policy luncheon, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 28, 2025. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

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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Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, speaks during a hearing in Washington, D.C., on Monday, June 23, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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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.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/congress-two-dozen-lawmakers-80-or-older-more-than-half-seeking-reelection-2026-report