Are some candidates too old to be running for president? How age will play a role in the 2024 campaign

WASHINGTON — When Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is 81, suddenly froze at a press conference last month, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, fell and was hospitalized last week, it put a spotlight on a concern among voters about political candidates: age.

The Democratic and Republican frontrunners, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, are the oldest candidates running in the 2024 race.

Biden, who’s 80, has said in multiple interviews that he’s capable of reelection and has even turned his age into a punchline. But some voters are concerned his age could become a liability in office. 

Thirty-seven percent of Democratic and Independent voters say Biden’s age makes them less likely to vote for him, according to a recent USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll. Three percent say it makes them more likely, while 56% say it doesn’t make a difference.

And Trump, 77, is just three years younger than the current president.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Here’s what you need to know about how age will play a role in the 2024 election.

How old are the candidates running in 2024?

The field of presidential candidates in the 2024 race has grown bigger and more diverse in recent months, with people from a variety of backgrounds competing for a chance to run the country. 

Some voters are looking for a “fresh face” in the crowd, potentially someone youthful with no political experience. But others are looking for an older and more tenured leader who knows the ins and outs of the political landscape.

"Age has already been a constant topic, really since the last election," Matthew Schmidt, a politics expert at the University of New Haven, told USA TODAY.

How old are the Democrats running in the 2024 election?

• Joe Biden: 80
• Marianne Williamson: 71
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr: 69

How old are the Republicans running in the 2024 election?

• Donald Trump: 77
• Asa Hutchinson: 72
• Larry Elder: 71
• Doug Burgum: 67
• Mike Pence: 64
• Chris Christie: 60
• Tim Scott: 57
• Nikki Haley: 51
• Ryan Binkley: 55
• Francis Suarez: 45
• Will Hurd: 45
• Ron DeSantis: 44
• Vivek Ramaswamy: 37

How old are the third-party candidates running in the 2024 election?

• Cornel West: 70

How has age played a role in previous elections?

Age can affect the energy of all candidates, Lindsay Chervinsky, a presidential historian, told USA TODAY. But it's impossible to say how age affects mental acuity because aging is such an individual process, she added. 

“On one hand, age can bring wisdom and experience, which can be enormously helpful when facing challenges on the global scale,” Chervinsky said. “On the other hand, the job is so demanding that voters naturally ask if a candidate is up to the task. That's something each voter has to answer themselves.”

Prior to the most recent presidential elections, former President Ronald Reagan was the oldest person to seek the presidency run for office, she said.

It is getting more common to see candidates running in their 70s though, James Campbell, a political science professor at the University at Buffalo, said. For instance, by May 2019 during the lead-up to the 2020 election, all but one of the 2020 presidential candidates were above 70 years old.

One factor contributing to this change, Schmidt said, is that the life expectancy of individuals has increased.

"People live longer now and are more capable in their later years because they're healthier than in the past," Schmidt said.

Jennifer Ailshire, a gerontology researcher at the University of Southern California, said that as long as someone is up to the task, she doesn't see why age should be a limiting factor in an election. What voters should watch out for is the physical and cognitive fitness of a candidate, she added.

Ailshire's research has shown that while many older individuals will start to experience physical declines in their 70s, there are people who avoid these declines. She also warned that a momentary lapse in memory or focus does not necessarily mean someone is experiencing significant cognitive decline.

Biden versus Trump: 'Life begins at 80'

If Biden reclaims the White House, he would be 82 years old at the beginning of his second term in January 2025. If Trump wins, he would be 78 − the same age that Biden was when he began his first term in 2021.

Trump dismissed questions about his age in a Truth Social post last year, arguing that Biden was “one of the oldest 79s in History but by and of itself, he is not an old man.”

“There are many people in their 80s, and even 90s, that are as good and sharp as ever,” Trump wrote. “Biden is not one of them, but it has little to do with his age. In actuality, life begins at 80!”

The White House, however, has rejected criticism about Biden's age, saying he is healthy and fit to serve in office.

Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, argued that, even if Biden's age has not affected his ability to do the job, "some members of the public may nonetheless believe he is not mentally sharp enough or that he lacks the necessary physical stamina.”

These concerns stem from reports of Biden falling, sometimes mixing up countries and dates and making other small blunders.

There were also reports of Trump slurring words, having difficulty walking and struggling to raise a water glass during his presidency, raising concerns about his age. One of Trump's long-time supporters, Franklin Graham, expressed concern of Trump's eating habits potentially compromising his health, as Axios reported in 2021.

But though he had gained a few pounds while he served in office, his doctor had said on numerous occasions that he was healthy. The former president has not released any medical records since leaving office.

But if voters do have concerns about candidate's age, that's an issue they can watch for on the campaign trail leading into next year's election.

"Voters need to be aware of the potential problems associated with aging in such a demanding job, and the best way for voters to get a good reading of the candidates' conditions is by frequently observing them," Campbell said.