Democratic Representative Katie Porter Advocates for Age Limit for Elected Officials

Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., called for age caps for elected officials during a Monday night debate, even as she gave President Joe Biden, 81, high marks for his legislative achievements.

“When I’m evaluating President Biden, what I’m looking for is the results — what he’s delivered to help my family,” Porter said during a Senate debate in San Francisco, according to Politico. “And I’m pleased with what he’s done so far. I do think generally that age limits are a conversation for all elected officials that we ought to be having.”

Porter, a three-term liberal Democrat, is running against Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., in California’s Senate race to fill the late Dianne Feinstein’s seat.

According to Politico, during the hour-long event, the candidates were asked about “age limits” and whether the Democrat and Republican presidential frontrunners — Joe Biden, 81, and former President Donald Trump, 77, respectively — are too old to return to the Oval Office.

Long a topic of speculation in Washington, Biden’s age has come under increased scrutiny since the release of special counsel Robert Hur’s report last week that found the president’s mental faculties are diminished.

The only candidate on the stage to express concern about Biden’s age and mental fitness was Republican Steve Garvey, who is a former major league baseball player; none of the three Democrats raised alarm.

“We’re saddened when we look at him in the state he’s in now,” Garvey reportedly said.

Schiff, 63, defended Biden and said that Trump was unfit to serve in elected office at any age, according to Politico.

Running on a generational change message, Porter, 50, is locked in a battle for second place against Garvey, 75, and Lee, 77. According to Politico, she did not engage either of them during the debate.

Instead, Porter aimed most of her attacks at frontrunner Schiff, calling him a hypocrite for supporting “age limits” for Supreme Court justices but not for members of Congress. She later clarified to reporters that she was talking about Schiff’s position on term limits for both the high court and Congress.

Porter repeatedly attempted to contrast herself with Schiff, needling him about accepting corporate PAC donations throughout the night.

Schiff didn’t respond, keeping his focus primarily on Garvey, whom he has portrayed in TV ads as his main competition for Feinstein’s seat.

However, the Burbank congressman did take a swipe at Porter’s campaign slogan to “shake up the Senate,” saying that it’s impossible to “walk down the halls of Congress without tripping over five people” all promising to do the exact same thing.