Prominent Democratic governors refused to say in several conversations with the New York Times whether there should be a broad age limit put on the Democratic nominee for president in 2028, as issues about his age and mental fitness ended President Biden's re-election efforts.
"It’s not a time of life, it’s a state of mind," California Gov. Gavin Newsom told the New York Times, suggesting putting a specific limit on it would be "absurd." Newsom had said in 2023 that Biden's age wasn't a problem.
With some exceptions, Democrats generally defended Biden against attacks on his age or ability to do the job ahead of his rough debate performance against Donald Trump in June. About a month after the debate, Biden dropped out of the race; his replacement on the ticket, Vice President Kamala Harris, went on to lose the election to Trump.
"When I was growing up, people who were 65 were almost dead," New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told the outlet. "I’m 65. I’m not almost dead."
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"I don’t have an age test," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said. "The question is: Are you in the game? Are you — we have an incredible bench, and the bench is sort of a spectrum of ages."
The Times report noted that the Democratic governors they spoke to were hesitant to criticize the president.
"There’s no such thing," New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said when asked if there should be an age limit for the 2028 nominee. Other Democrats did not hesitate to say Biden couldn't carry out their message.
"With, you know, some of his, what appeared to be his health issues, he just wasn’t somebody that could forcefully carry the message that we needed in a tough election cycle," Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., told the outlet. She said she was partial to a Gen X Democratic presidential nominee for 2028.
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North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper pointed out that Americans just elected "somebody who is pretty old," referring to Trump, who at 78 is the oldest elected president ever. The previous record-holder was Biden, who was just shy of 78 when he won in 2020.
Voters repeatedly expressed concern over the president's age ahead of him dropping out of the race. He turned 82 last month.
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Newsom, Grisham and Cooper are considered to be potential White House contenders for Democrats in 2028.
