Pelosi’s 40-year career is a perfect example of our system’s dysfunction

Pelosi’s 40-year career is a perfect example of our system’s dysfunction



Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s exit from politics after nearly 40 years in the game is a stark reminder that too much of our political class is like her: long-haul careerists who cling to the reins of power — while making bank off their positions.



On Thursday, the ex-speaker announced she won’t seek a 20th term; she thus avoids a potentially tough primary battle against former AOC Chief of Staff Saikat Chakrabarti.

She wasn’t eager to go: Until now, she’d been pointedly prepping for another run at age 85, defying younger members of her party (including, reportedly, House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, 55) who wanted her to let someone born after World War II take over.

This reluctance to let a new generation step up is far from rare: Three others in the House are even older than her, and Congress held at least 20 octogenarians as of this past January.

We’re absolutely fine with older Americans serving in public office, especially those like Wisconsin’s Sen. Ron Johnson, who had a long, successful career in business before trying politics.


But it is problematic when the average age is about 58 for the House and 64 for the Senate — and so many electeds have never had a life outside of politics, giving them almost no insight into the real world.

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