Maryland Reps. Ruppersberger, Hoyer among those facing one of Washington’s big questions: when to retire?

Some of the most senior members of Congress, including two from Maryland, must address a deeply personal question that has become prominent on Capitol Hill and in the emerging 2024 presidential race.

When should an officeholder retire?

As their colleagues prepare for 2024 reelection campaigns, Maryland Democratic Reps. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, 77, and Steny Hoyer, 84 — along with Baltimore-raised former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 83; assistant Democratic House leader James Clyburn, 83, and others — aren’t saying yet whether they will seek new terms.

It’s an issue in the Senate, too, where Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 81, a Kentucky Republican, abruptly stopped talking midsentence during a July 26 news conference, and Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, appeared confused during a vote the same week.

Because there is no universal answer on when to step aside, lawmakers are often reluctant to publicly address the question, particularly those considering retiring. With political control of Congress at stake, the topic has clear public implications, but also involves people’s personal decisions about themselves and their families.

“There is no right answer. Every person is different,” said U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin of Baltimore, the 79-year-old Democrat who announced May 1 that he would not seek reelection after nearly six decades in Maryland politics.

“I always knew this election cycle would be the one I would be thinking about not running again,” the senator said. “I didn’t want people telling me, ‘It’s time for you to leave.’ I wanted to make it on my terms.”

Ruppersberger, an 11th-term Democrat and former Baltimore County executive, declined to be interviewed about the topic, according to campaign aide Jaime Lennon. She said he hasn’t yet made up his mind and has no timeline for doing so.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., 40, a Democrat, has expressed interest in the 2nd Congressional District seat, which includes parts of Baltimore and Carroll counties and a small piece of Baltimore City, but only if Ruppersberger doesn’t run. Another Democrat, Clint Spellman Jr., 63, of Baltimore County, has filed with the Maryland Board of Elections to run in the Democratic primary.

Asked about his intentions, Hoyer, the Democratic former House majority leader from Southern Maryland first elected in 1981, also declined to be interviewed. He provided a statement saying, “I continue to be blessed with good health, and my passion for public service remains as strong as ever.” It didn’t address whether Hoyer — the longest-serving House member in Maryland history — will seek a new term, saying only that he remains “laser focused on advancing the priorities and addressing the most pressing issues facing the people of Maryland’s Fifth District.”

The 5th District includes parts of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s, as well as covering Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties.

The deadline to file for the May 14 primary in Maryland is Feb. 9.

The retirement issue has gained prominence on Capitol Hill since Feinstein missed months of work earlier this year due to shingles, and seemed confused during a July 27 committee vote. She is not seeking reelection. The day before, concerns were raised about McConnell after he froze while delivering a statement to reporters and was briefly ushered away. McConnell, who isn’t up for reelection until 2026, hasn’t indicated plans to retire.

“I do understand why people are so reluctant to give up your career, particularly at a point in politics where you’ve now accumulated a lot of power and knowledge,” said Flavio Hickel Jr., an assistant political science professor at Washington College in Chestertown. “And you know, we all, at some level, think of ourselves as sort of invincible.”

Age is an issue in the emerging 2024 presidential race. Democratic President Joe Biden, who plans to seek reelection, is 80, making him the oldest sitting president. Former President Donald Trump, who is vying for the Republican nomination, is 77.

As a group, Congress has gotten steadily older. House members’ median age is about 58. That’s slightly less than a few years ago. But the House’s median was less than 50 in most of the 1980s, and less than 53 during most of the 1990s. The Senate’s median age of 65 also represents a significant increase in the past 50 years.

The median age in the United States is about 38.9. Maryland’s is 39.6.

Maryland’s eight-member House delegation has three members over 70: Hoyer, Ruppersberger and Baltimore Democrat Kweisi Mfume, who is 74. The rest are in their 60s. Maryland’s other senator, Democrat Chris Van Hollen, is 64.

Ruppersberger had $875,803 in his campaign account as of June 30, according to his most recent Federal Election Commission report. Hoyer had $795,119.

Each would be enough to mount reelection campaigns in districts that favor Democrats, particularly incumbents. In Hoyer’s district, Democrat Mckayla Wilkes has announced she is running for a third time against Hoyer in the primary. She is 33. Democrat Andrea L. Crooms, 43, of Prince George’s County has also filed with the state elections board to seek the party’s nomination, while Democrat Joey Thompson and Republican Michelle Talkington reported to the FEC that they would be candidates, as well.

The oldest U.S. House member, California Democrat Grace Napolitano, 86, isn’t running for reelection. But the next oldest, New Jersey Democrat Bill Pascrell, 85, is seeking a new term. Meanwhile, potential candidates are awaiting the decisions of Pelosi and Clyburn.

“It’s hard for anybody to retire, but put yourself in a position where you’re dealing with some of the most important matters of the nation,” said Roger E. Hartley, dean of the University of Baltimore’s College of Public Affairs.

“All the time you’re in the mix, you’re going to fundraisers, you’re constantly being celebrated. It’s hard probably for some people to step away from that action,” Hartley said.

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