Rep. Maxine Waters suggested on Monday that she would seek to reclaim her role as chair of the Financial Services Committee should Democrats retake the House in November, at which point she would be 88 years old.
“If you take a look at my energy and what I do — I am Auntie Maxine,” Waters told Politico. “I’m the one who popularized ‘reclaiming my time.’”
Waters, who is currently 87 and has a birthday in August, has represented south Los Angeles in Congress for nearly 35 years. In 2019, she became the first Black woman to lead the Financial Services committee, which oversees everything from legislation on financial regulation and cryptocurrency to housing and lending policy.
Members of the committee, speaking anonymously to Politico, raised concerns about Waters’ fundraising efforts and lack of direct contributions to other members, a common practice for lawmakers. Others complained of Waters reveling in the spotlight rather than allowing space for younger members to lead.
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But few appear willing to publicly challenge her for the role. And colleagues on the committee did commend Waters for maintaining her ability to whip bipartisan support for various housing and insurance packages. Some members also lauded her persistence in refocusing financial conversations on the needs of constituents over billionaires.
“She’s sharp, she’s got a great attitude, she’s got a good soul,” Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch told Politico. “Maxine … brings Main Street into the discussion, not just Wall Street.”
Waters is the leading Democratic contender in her district but will face Myla Rahman, a nonprofit director, in this year’s primary. Rahman is one of a handful of candidates around the country seeking to unseat senior Democratic incumbents by running campaigns focused on generational change.
“She’s done a lot of great work,” Rahman told Politico. “But we’re saying, let’s pass the baton and let a new generation of leadership come have a seat at the table.”
The current Congress is the third-oldest in U.S. history, NBC News reported in January, with 24 members over 80 years old. At least a dozen of them are running for reelection.
Asked whether Congress is in need of a generational shift, Waters told Politico she supports everybody’s constitutional right to run for office.
“And depending on how good you are, how much you know, how much you convince the people — if you happen to win, that’s the way the Constitution works,” she replied. “And that’s the way we should think about it.”
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