Young Democrats Press For Generational Change, Target Long-Serving Incumbents

Across multiple states, a rising cohort of younger Democrats is mounting primary challenges to a group of long-serving incumbents, arguing the party needs new energy to confront today’s political and technological challenges. These contests highlight tensions between institutional experience and a push for bolder, more modern approaches to issues such as immigration, economic populism and corporate power.

Sacramento: Mai Vang vs. Doris Matsui

Mai Vang, 40, a Sacramento City Council member, is mounting one of the most prominent primary challenges to Rep. Doris Matsui, 81, who has represented the area for two decades. Vang frames her campaign around urgency and a promise to bring a younger perspective to issues affecting working families; at a recent gathering she pledged to dismantle U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, drawing enthusiastic support from younger voters.

Matsui, born in a World War II Japanese internment camp, defended her record of delivering federal dollars and opposing strict Trump-era immigration measures. She emphasized that experience is about effectiveness, not clinging to power. At the end of 2025 Matsui reported about $785,000 in campaign cash on hand compared with Vang's roughly $200,000.

Mississippi: Evan Turnage vs. Bennie Thompson

In Mississippi, 33-year-old Evan Turnage, an antitrust lawyer who has worked with senior Senate Democrats, is challenging Rep. Bennie Thompson, 78. Turnage casts his campaign in economic-populist terms, arguing Mississippians need a fighter against predatory corporations and leaders who understand how social media and artificial intelligence are reshaping politics.

Turnage struggles with fundraising — about $54,000 on hand at the end of 2025 — while Thompson reported roughly $1.7 million. Thompson, a longtime civil rights advocate who once chaired the Jan. 6 committee, says he trusts voters to judge his record.

Tennessee: Justin Pearson vs. Steve Cohen

Justin Pearson, 31, who once interned for Rep. Steve Cohen and later became a state legislator, is challenging the 76-year-old Cohen in a high-profile primary. Pearson argues that entrenched leadership has held the party back and that new voices are necessary to better represent younger and more diverse constituencies.

Cohen, a polio survivor with a long string of electoral victories, warns against judging lawmakers by age alone and points to substantial legislative accomplishments. Fundraising again favors the incumbent: Cohen reported about $1.8 million at year-end 2025, while Pearson had about $350,000.

Connecticut: Luke Bronin vs. John Larson

In Connecticut, former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, 46, is emerging as a leading challenger to Rep. John Larson, 77, who has served since 1999. Concerns about Larson's health surfaced after a brief speech disruption last year that was later attributed to a complex partial seizure; Larson says medication controls the condition and that he is fit to run.

Bronin says the Democratic Party must embrace generational change and criticized the party's cautious approach in recent national contests. At the end of 2025 Bronin reported about $1.5 million on hand versus Larson's roughly $1 million.

Context: Retirement, Fundraising And The Debate Over Experience

Some senior Democrats — including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer — are retiring rather than face primary challenges, ensuring some turnover in the next Congress. But many incumbents remain and defend their records, arguing that institutional knowledge and seniority translate into results.

Across these races a recurring theme is the fundraising gap between well-established incumbents and younger challengers, which can limit challengers' reach and organizational capacity. The broader debate centers on whether the Democratic Party should prioritize experience and institutional power or inject new energy to respond faster to modern political challenges.

'We need leaders in this moment that understand the day-to-day struggles of our working families,' said Mai Vang, reflecting the urgency younger challengers emphasize.

As these primaries unfold, voters will weigh competing arguments about health, experience, electability and the kind of leadership the Democratic Party needs to face a changing political landscape.