Rep. Steny Hoyer draws a challenger who makes the age argument explicit
Rep. Steny Hoyer has drawn a primary challenger with a pointed message about the 85-year-old: The incumbent Maryland Democrat is too old to run again.
Harry Jarin, a 35-year-old volunteer firefighter and emergency services consultant who once competed on 'Jeopardy!', launched his campaign Thursday because he said Democrats need to "stop treating congressional seats like lifetime appointments.'
"When I started going around asking people whether I should do this, nobody could tell me that in their heart, they really thought Steny Hoyer at 89 years old [at the end of] the next Congress was the right person to represent us in this district,' Jarin said in an interview with POLITICO previewing his candidacy.
Hoyer — who has not said if he will seek a 24th term — was first elected in 1981. While in office, Hoyer has been a stalwart supporter of the party's top issues. He was an early supporter of the ADA in 1990 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002, and as majority leader he played a key role in the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
A Hoyer spokesperson declined to comment. When Hoyer stepped back from leadership in 2022, he directly addressed his age, telling CNN: 'Have you heard I was 83?'
'I think all of us have been around for some time and pretty much have a feel for the timing of decisions. And I think all three of us felt that this was the time,' Hoyer said at the time, addressing his decision and the decisions of Nancy Pelosi and Jim Clyburn.
As the party continues to reckon with its November loss to President Donald Trump, Democrats have been looking for ways to inject new voices into the conversation. Those arguing for change say bringing in new people will bring new ideas to Congress, as well as new strategies for reaching an electorate that has soured on their party. But Democrats have tread carefully around the issue of age, particularly around former President Joe Biden — even in the wake of fresh questions about whether his decision to run for reelection amid his deteriorating condition set the party back.
Not Jarin.
Jarin acknowledged that his differences with Hoyer are 'not necessarily ideological,' but rather rooted in his age. He cast the former majority leader as out of date with his approach, which he said was too incremental and unable to keep up in the changing media landscape that is so crucial to courting younger voters.
"Steny is still operating in this 1980s information environment where maybe he does some media hits and he stands on the floor of the House and makes a speech to an empty chamber and nobody's watching," he said. "We're not reaching young voters."
After a string of deaths among older Democratic members since the start of this Congress, Jarin said, it's time to make explicit the conversation about whether incumbents are too old to serve.
'I'm not trying to be cruel or callous," Jarin said, "but I want Democrats to win, and there are consequences for having this gerontocracy, and we have to reckon with that.'
Hoyer, who long served as former Speaker Nancy Pelosi's second-in-command in the House before the two stepped back from leadership, is one of several senior Democrats who are facing primary challengers from younger generations demanding new leadership.
Reps. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), and Pelosi (D-Calif.), have all drawn opponents from within their party. After drawing a challenger, Schakowsky announced she would no longer seek reelection.
Democrats, of course, aren't the only ones to contend with age in office. Former Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stepped back from his leadership role at the age of 82 after more than two decades of being the chief Senate Republican. And President Donald Trump, at 78, became the oldest president to be inaugurated in American history this January.
The party has also been roiled by DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, who has pledged to spend big on primaries against 'ineffective, asleep-at-the-wheel' members of his own party.
Jarin has not spoken to Hogg about his potential support, but he flexed his ties to Democratic donors, including his husband, who he said bundled for Biden, and he thinks he will raise enough to put up a fight against Hoyer's $573,000 cash on hand.
When Hogg announced his plan to primary incumbents, he specifically noted he would not back a Hoyer challenger.
Jarin said that the party has work to do as it sorts through its election losses from last year. The party's focus on Trump, he said, has distracted from presenting an affirmative message to voters.
'We've been the anti-Trump party for the last 10 years, but what do we actually stand for?' he said.
Jarin said Democrats at all levels know that having too many older members can be a problem and says there's plenty of private support behind him.
But to win, his supporters will need to make their frustrations with older members clinging to their seats public.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Magazine
32 minutes ago
- Time Magazine
Trump's Public Rebuke of Tulsi Gabbard's Statement on Iran
President Donald Trump has said that his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was "wrong" to say that Iran is not currently building a nuclear weapon. When asked about the claims made by his intelligence community, specifically Gabbard, Trump was clear, telling reporters on Friday: 'She's wrong.' In March, Gabbard testified in front of Congress that the intelligence community [IC] 'continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon, and Supreme Leader [Ali] Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003. The IC continues to monitor, closely, if Tehran decides to reauthorize its nuclear weapons program." The testimony has resurfaced as Trump weighs his options regarding a potential U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, as the Middle Eastern countries trade deadly missiles after Israel launched an operation against Iranian military targets and nuclear facilities on June 13. Read More: Iran Issues New Grave Warning, Says U.S. Involvement in Israel Conflict Would Be 'Very Dangerous for Everybody' Trump's latest comments echo those he made to reporters on Air Force One on June 17, when he said he did not 'care' about what Gabbard had testified earlier in the year. 'I don't care what she said, I think they were very close to having one,' Trump said of his belief that Iran was inching towards having a nuclear weapon. Central to Trump's stance regarding Israel's initial assault on Iran is his belief that Iran has been moving closer to nuclear capability. He has plainly said that 'Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.' Trump's stance, bolstered by a May 31 International Atomic Energy Agency report (that stated Iran had accumulated roughly 120 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, dangerously close to weapons-grade levels of 90%), undermines previous reports by U.S. intelligence, including that of Gabbard, a former Democrat. Read More: How Netanyahu Pushed Trump Toward War In response to Trump's new assertion that she was 'wrong' in her previous testimony, Gabbard took to social media on Friday, stating that her words had been taken out of context by "dishonest media." Gabbard maintains that she and Trump are on the same page. "The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division," Gabbard said. "America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree." Attached to the post was a longer video of her testimony, which also included her claims that 'Iran's enriched uranium stockpile is at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons.' Read More: The 5 Groups Hoping to Sway Trump on Iran Trump reportedly still has 'full confidence' in his intelligence team, according to White House communications director Steven Cheung, but the open disagreements between Trump and members of his Administration signal splinters over the Israel-Iran conflict. The President is facing questions from both within and outside the Republican party, as he weighs up his options during a self-imposed two-week deadline about whether the U.S. will intervene, despite him campaigning on staying out of wars overseas. Republican lawmakers Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky have both openly disapproved of any potential U.S. military intervention. Read More: Breaking Down the Feud Between Trump and Tucker Carlson Amid Divide Over Israel-Iran Conflict Meanwhile, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson—a long-time ally of Trump, who even hit the campaign trail with him in 2024—has also spoken out against any U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict. Carlson's initial comments prompted a blistering response from Trump, and their disagreement soon took a personal turn as the feud escalated. While the situation appears to have since settled—Trump said Carlson called and apologized for his 'strong' words—it's clear that the subject of the Israel-Iran conflict and how the U.S. should move forward is proving to be a divisive one.
New York Post
40 minutes ago
- New York Post
Biden ‘talking in the quiet car,' asking for ice cream on Amtrak rides to DC office
He may be out of office, but he's still driving people crazy. Former President Joe Biden has been overheard asking for frozen treats while commuting on Amtrak to his government-provided DC office — where little known work is being done — as well as allegedly forgetting a top rule of the train. 'He was talking in the quiet car!' a disbelieving Amtrak regular vented to The Post. The 82-year-old former chief executive, who rode the route back and forth to Delaware during his 36 years in the Senate, also has gotten rusty on the cafe car's offerings. Biden recently asked for ice cream — his favorite snack — but had to settle for a muffin. Amtrak's 'quiet car' is the second on the Acela — behind first class — and its code of conduct is enforced by conductors and passengers who brusquely hiss 'shhhhhh!' at violators. A second witness who has seen Biden chatting in the quiet car argued it wasn't his fault. 'If he's talking, it's because he's constantly approached,' said this person, noting that whispered exchanges are allowed. '[That] is always a criticism of him — that he's too soft spoken! No winning.' The ex-president's travels have been captured in a stream of photos from fellow riders — and even a brief May 8 interview with CNN's Dana Bash. The Amtrak he was on was stopped last week due to a track issue outside of Baltimore and fellow riders flocked to the Democrat for selfies. Biden, who dropped his re-election bid last year amid a mutiny by allies over his perceived cognitive decline, has been visiting DC roughly once a week for meetings, the Wall Street Journal reported last month. 5 Several alums of the Biden White House say there's intrigue into what exactly he is doing most weeks at his temporary office a short distance from DC's Union Station. The General Services Administration pays for the office until July, meaning Biden will have to relocate soon if he intends to continue commuting to the capital. 'It's really a mystery,' one former Biden aide said of his activities while visiting DC, noting that staff still working for Biden 'avoid answering.' 'They're supposed to be setting up library stuff but no one has heard anything,' this person said. 'We're all wondering the same thing because he doesn't go to restaurants or anything public around here.' A source familiar with Biden's activities said that at the office he conducts meetings with staff and former staff and passes the time calling members of Congress and other Democratic leaders. 'He's also been attending events which are sometimes coordinated through the office,' the person said. 5 'He was just in Galveston, Texas, to attend a Juneteenth service as a recent example. Separately, he's working on his book and library and foundation phases of post-presidency.' They were unaware of any plans to find a new DC office when the federally provided space ends next month. Sources tell The Post the family faces financial difficulties after losing his $400,000 presidential pay. He has struggled to find takers for his offer to give speeches for $300,000 — a figure first reported by The Post — while his son Hunter Biden, who formerly raked in millions from abroad, admits to.
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Texas family detention center witnesses describe adults fighting kids for clean water
McALLEN, Texas — Adults fighting kids for clean water, despondent toddlers, and a child with swollen feet denied a medical exam: These first-hand accounts from immigrant families at detention centers included in a motion filed by advocates Friday night are offering a glimpse of conditions at Texas facilities. Families shared their testimonies with immigrant advocates filing a lawsuit to prevent the Trump administration from terminating the Flores settlement agreement, a 1990s-era policy that requires immigrant children detained in federal custody be held in safe and sanitary conditions. The agreement could challenge President Trump's family detention provisions in his massive tax and spending bill, which also seeks to make the detention time indefinite and comes as the administration ramps up arrests of immigrants nationwide. 'At a time when Congress is considering funding the indefinite detention of children and families, defending the Flores Settlement is more urgent than ever,' Mishan Wroe, a senior immigration attorney at the National Center for Youth Law, said in a statement Friday. Advocates with the center, as well as the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, RAICES and Children's Rights contacted or visited children and their families held in two Texas family detention centers in Dilley and Karnes, which reopened this year. The conditions of the family detention facilities were undisclosed until immigration attorneys filed an opposing motion Friday night before a California federal court. The oversight of the detention facilities was possible because of the settlement, and the visits help ensure standards of compliance and transparency, said Sergio Perez, the executive director of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law. Without the settlement, those overseeing the facilities would lose access to them and could not document what is happening inside. Out of 90 families who spoke to RAICES, an immigration legal support group, since March, 40 expressed medical concerns, according to the court documents. Several testimonies expressed concern over water quantity and quality. Emailed messages seeking comment were sent to the office of U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi and to CoreCivic and Geo Group, the private prison companies that operate the detention facilities in Dilley and Karnes, respectively. There was no response from Bondi's office or the operators of the facilities as of midday Saturday. One mother was told she would have to use tap water for formula for her 9-month-old, who had diarrhea for three days after. A 16-year-old girl described people scrambling over one another for water. 'We don't get enough water. They put out a little case of water, and everyone has to run for it,' said the declaration from the girl held with her mother and two younger siblings at the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center. 'An adult here even pushed my little sister out of the way to get to the water first.' Faisal Al-Juburi, chief external affairs officer for RAICES, said Friday in a statement that the conditions 'only serve to reinforce the vital need for transparent and enforceable standards and accountability measures,' citing an 'unconscionable obstruction of medical care for those with acute, chronic, and terminal illnesses.' One family with a young boy with cancer said he missed his doctor's appointment after the family was arrested after they attended an immigration court hearing. He is now experiencing relapse symptoms, according to the motion. Another family said their 9-month-old lost more than 8 pounds while in detention for a month. Children spoke openly about their trauma during visits with legal monitors, including a 12-year-old boy with a blood condition. He reported that his feet became too inflamed to walk, and even though he saw a doctor, he was denied further testing. Now, he stays mostly off his feet. 'It hurts when I walk,' he said in a court declaration. Arrests have left psychological trauma. A mother of a 3-year-old boy who saw agents go inside his babysitter's home with guns started acting differently after detention. She said he now throws himself on the ground, bruises himself and refuses to eat most days. Many of the families in detention were already living in the U.S., reflecting the recent shift from immigration arrests at the border to internal operations. Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and main architect of Trump's immigration policies, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers would target at least 3,000 arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the first few months of Trump's second term. Leecia Welch, the deputy legal director at Children's Rights, said that as bad as facility conditions are, they will only get worse as more immigrants are brought in. 'As of early June, the census at Dilley was around 300, and only two of its five areas were open,' Welch said of her visits. 'With a capacity of around 2,400, it's hard to imagine what it would be like with 2,000 more people.' Pediatricians such as Dr. Marsha Griffin with the American Academy of Pediatrics Council said they are concerned and are advocating across the country to allow pediatric monitors with child welfare experts inside the facilities. The Flores agreement is poised to become more relevant if Trump's tax and spending legislation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passes with the current language allowing the indefinite detention of immigrant families, which is not allowed under the Flores agreement. Trump's legislation approved by the House also proposes setting aside $45 billion in funding, a threefold spending increase, over the next four years to expand ICE detention of adults and families. The Senate is now considering the bill. Under these increased efforts to add more detention space, Geo Group, the corporation operating the detention facility in Karnes, will soon be reopening an infamous prison — which housed gangsters Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly — for migrant detention in Leavenworth, Kan. Immigration advocates argue that if the settlement were terminated, the government would need to create regulations that conform to the agreement's terms. 'Plaintiffs did not settle for policy making — they settled for rulemaking,' the motion read. The federal government will have a chance to submit a reply brief. A court hearing is scheduled for mid-July. Gonzalez writes for the Associated Press.
