The Senator from Michigan retires, giving Sherrod Brown the undisputed title of Most Rumpled Senator but leaving Most Jewish Looking Senator up for debate. Levin has been an excellent Senator for years, a workhorse and not a showhorse.
You know what I’m looking at. Levin will be 80 when the 114th Senate convenes without him. Of the eight who have announced retirement since the election (including DeMint and Kerry), the youngest is DeMint, who will be 63 then, and six will be 70 or older. Ed Markey, likely new Senator from Massachusetts, doesn’t help, but Tim Scott does — and overall there’s just an excellent opportunity for the Senate to continue it’s streak of getting younger.
The big thing with the Old, Old, Senate is still the increasing age of new Senators. But even if that continues, it’s looking pretty good for age diversity increasing nicely during the 2014 cycle.
[Originally posted at A plain blog about politics]
