Older Democrats walloped by midterms anti-establishment revolt

House Democrats who have comfortably held their seats for decades are suddenly finding the ground shifting beneath their feet as primary voters revolt against the party's old guard.

Why it matters: The anti-establishment revolution that has swept Democratic primaries this year is poised to drastically alter the makeup of the party caucus and Congress as a whole.

Rep.

John Larson (D-Conn.) became the latest victim of this trend: The 78-year-old lost his primary by more than 20 percentage points to 47-year-old former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin .

Larson emerged as a top target for the Democratic youth brigade after he suffered a highly publicized freeze-up during a House floor speech last year that he later said was due to a complex partial seizure .

By the numbers: Larson is one of seven House Democrats who have lost their primaries this year — five of whom are past retirement age.

Reps.

Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), 69, Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), 71, and Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), 71, all lost challenges to younger opponents affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America.

Rep.

Al Green (D-Texas), 78, lost to 38-year-old freshman Rep.

Christian Menefee (D-Texas) after the two were placed in the same seat by GOP-led mid-decade redistricting.

These losses, along with the ousters of Reps.

Julie Johnson (D-Texas) and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), make 2026 tied with 2012 as the worst year for Democratic incumbents in primaries in the 21st century.

What they're saying: " Democratic voters are hungry for a new generation of leaders who can credibly argue they'll fight for change," Amanda Litman, founder of progressive group Run For Something, told Axios.