Are Deaths in Congress Increasing?

The recent deaths of two lawmakers who served in the House of Representatives have sparked conversations about the average age of those serving in Congress.

Why It Matters

Representative Raúl Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, died on Thursday, making him the second Congressional death this month following Representative Sylvester Turner, a Texas Democrat.

The deaths come amid growing calls for longtime Congressional leaders to pass the baton to a new generation. Concerns about former President Joe Biden's age on the campaign trail, former Republican Leader Mitch McConnell freezing during a press conference and the death of Dianne Feinstein, who declined to retire despite concerns about her age, have fueled concerns about an aging Congress.

Both the House and Senate did get a tad younger at the start of the new Congress. The median age of the House lawmakers was 57.5, and 64.7 for those in the Senate, at the start of the new Congress, down from 58.9 and 65.3 in 2023, according to Pew Research Center.

What to Know

So far in the 2020s, there have been 13 members of Congress who have died while still in office.

In addition to Grijalva and Turner, the following represntatives have died this decade: New Jersey Democrat Bill Pascrell, Texas Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee, New Jersey Democrat Donald Payne Jr., Virginia Democrat Donald McEachin, Indiana Republican Jackie Walorski, Alaska Republican Don Young, Minnesota Republican Jim Hagedorn, Florida Democratic Alcee Hastings, Texas Republican Ron Wright and Georgia Democratic John Lewis.

Notably, Turner was chosen to fill the seat vacated by Jackson Lee, who died last July. Feinstein is the only senator to die in office this decade.

The number of lawmakers who have died in office this decade has already surpassed the number from the 2010s, when only 12 serving members of Congress from either chamber died.

The number hasn't yet surpassed that of earlier decades, however.

Nineteen members of Congress died in office in the 2000s, and 16 died in office in the 1990s, according to data from a Congressional Research Service report.

The 1980s, however, saw a higher number of lawmakers die in office. A total of 29 sitting members of Congress passed away that decade.

What People Are Saying

Journalist Ken Klippenstein on X (formerly Twitter): "Two members of congress in their 70s have died in office this month."

Charlie Hunt, Boise State University political scientist, in a July 2024 article published in The Conversation: "First, if it feels as though Congress just keeps getting older over time, it's because Americans are, too. According to historical data on members of Congress, the average House member's age is up 10% since 1960 – 58, up from 52. A similar increase happened in the Senate, with the average age 63, up from 57."

Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett on X: "The reckoning within the Democratic Party's gerontocracy (of age and strategy) shouldn't end with Joe Biden."

What Happens Next

It's yet to be seen what leadership changes will occur after the 2026 midterms, though several lawmakers such as Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, have already said they're not running for reelection, potentially opening an opportunity for new political leadership.