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A Note About This Piece
Continuing the gallery's dive into senator ages, this piece is a comparison of senator ages on election day in 1992, 2002, 2012, and 2022.
Check out our previous piece that compared current senator ages to the age distribution in the U.S.
As can been seen from the historgrams, there's definitely been a shift in distribution of ages to the right.
In 1992 the average senator age was 59.18.
This year the average age is 65.63.
In 1992 there were (16) senators 70 and over.
Today there are (35) senators 70 and over, over a 2x increase.
In 1992 there was (1) senator 80 and over.
Today there are (7) senators 80 and over, literally a 7x increase.
A multitude of factors are considered by citizens as they evaluate the strength of their governmental body. One factor that has become more prominent in recent years is the
age of senators who have been in the senate for decades, and seem to be clinging to power for no other reason than the sake of power itself.
This year a senator whose attracted attention for that very reason is Chuck Grassley who's 89 this year and seeking another (6) year term on November 8th.
He is currently serving his 7th term in the senate, a seat he's held since 1981.
As this election cycle comes and goes, this topic of our aging senate will continue to be a topic of critical discussion particularly among the emerging
generations that are ready to lead and shape the world they themselves will be living in decades from now.
Interesting fact: In 2002, the one sitting senator who was 95+ was James Strom Thurmond, he was 99.
Today he remains as the first and only acting senator to reach his 100th birthday in the senate chambers on December 5th, 2002.
He retired in 2003.
Creators: Hailey (Hails) Hoyat
Version: 1.0
Tools Used: Google Sheets
Data Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/102nd_United_States_Congress,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/107th_United_States_Congress,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/112th_United_States_Congress,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/117th_United_States_Congress
