"I am not going to step aside": Democrats' oldest members won't go away without a fight

House Democrats are facing something of a gray revolution, with some of the party's oldest members refusing to yield to calls for generational change.Why it matters: Many of those older lawmakers are facing primary challengers, and some Democrats fear such intraparty contests will draw resources away from the fight to retake control of the House.Some House Democrats who have opted to retire, most recently Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), have said they think it's only fair to give younger leaders an opportunity to take the reins.But others in their 70s and 80s told Axios that calls for generational change overlook the importance of seniority. Thus, they're not going anywhere.Driving the news: Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), 88, told Axios on Thursday that "of course" she is running for reelection despite mounting concerns about her fitness for office.She pointedly dismissed calls for generational change, stating: "I say that my seniority is what is very important, and I am not going to step aside."Norton spokesperson Sharon Nichols, who has repeatedly walked back the lawmaker's statements about running for reelection, told Axios: "We don't have anything to add."Zoom out: It's not just Holmes Norton refusing calls to bow out.Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), who has multiple credible primary challengers after suffering a complex partial seizure on the House floor in February, said he plans to launch his reelection bid soon."Generational change is fine, but you've got to earn it," said Larson, 77. "It's not like, 'Oh geez, you know what, why didn't I think of that? Now's the time for me to step down because, well, it's generational change!'"Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), 80, told Axios he is still planning to run for reelection despite facing a half dozen primary opponents and persistent concerns about his health.Between the lines: Several older lawmakers argued members' fitness for office should be judged on a case-by-case basis — with some dissociating themselves from Nadler."Some of the seniors around here are different than some other seniors," said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), 80, who indicated he plans to seek reelection even if Missouri Republicans redraw his district. "So if you say, 'Well, everyone of some age should quit,' It's ridiculous. Some people should. You can go into the [Capitol] and see people who are struggling ... and [Nadler] has been struggling. He's got some medical issues. But a lot of us don't."Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Conn.), 76, similarly said Nadler has "been slipping for a while," while former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), 86, said the longtime New York lawmaker has "had some challenges."Nadler's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. What they're saying: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) pointed to his ascension to leadership and the ousters of several older committee ranking members as evidence of generational change happening within his caucus.Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her deputies "decided not to seek reelection to their leadership positions voluntarily," Jeffries said. "That's what's called embracing generational change."Jeffries also said he "strongly" supports Larson's reelection and that "every single congressional district ... [is] going to make a decision about who is best positioned to represent that congressional district moving forward."The other side: "Older Democratic leaders can cement their legacies and help usher in a new generation of leadership," said David Hogg, who is working to unseat older, more established Democratic incumbents."Instead of following the example of their colleagues, some are clinging to power and refusing to pass the torch. Young people are done waiting for their turn and will be primarying many ineffective, asleep-at-the-wheel representatives.""If some members of Congress want to spend their twilight years running the most brutal campaign of their careers, so be it."The bottom line: Older members are cautioning declared and would-be primary rivals that there is a reason they have stayed in office this long.Cohen told Axios he is "not worried" about a primary challenge and that it would "be a mistake for somebody to run against me," because "whoever succeeds me will probably ... be somebody whom I choose to endorse."Hoyer, who said he is still considering reelection, said the generational change argument put forth by his primary challengers is "not new.""Have you heard anybody say they don't like the way I vote? ... Have you heard anybody say that I'm not able to do the job?" he told Axios. "But they have to say something!"

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