WASHINGTON − Thirty-nine-year-old Saikat Chakrabarti is looking to pull off a political earthquake: Oust California Democrat Nancy Pelosi in next year's primaries. The 85-year-old former House Speaker has been in Congress since 1987, almost as long as Chakrabarti's been alive. He's part of a movement of young progressives looking to knock off their Democratic elders in blue state primaries next year, arguing the veterans aren't doing enough to take the fight to President Donald Trump. His message: "People are fed up with the old guard." More:Elon Musk's rise and fall: From Trump's chainsaw-wielding sidekick to a swift exit But the old guard is unimpressed. Pelosi told USA TODAY she doesn't view Chakrabarti's challenge as serious. "Not at all. Not even slightly," she said. Chakrabarti, a tech millionaire, ismaking gerontocracy− rule by the aged − a big part of his campaign. He says he's building an insurgent base through Zoom calls with voters and regular TV appearances. Amid a storm of Trump-induced crises, Chakrabarti says, "The Democratic party has an inability-to-change problem." While political scientists say it will be tough to beat seasoned pols like Pelosi, the bids expose a growing divide as Chakrabarti and others seek a more publicly assertive party. In Georgia, 33-year-old Everton Blair is running to unseat twelve-term incumbent Rep. David Scott, 79. And Jake Ravok, 37, who was eight when his former boss, California Rep. Brad Sherman, 70, was first elected to Congress in 1996, launched a primary challenge in April. It's been a bumpy uprising. Related:Too old or very wise: U.S. leaders are among the world's oldest. Is it a problem? On April 16, Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg, 25, announcedhis support for young progressiveschallenging "out of touch, ineffective" incumbents, earning arebuke from Democratic brass. "This is probably the best opportunity for younger Democrats to run for Congress since the Watergate Babies overran the House in 1974," saidDavid Niven, associate professor of politics at the University of Cincinnati. "For a lot of Democrats, new voices represent hope." "Traditional voices represent defeat," Niven said. Chakrabarti got his political start with Bernie Sanders in 2016 and was chief of staff to New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 35. He launched his uphill campaign against Pelosi in February, arguing Democrats "are not recognizing this political moment for what it is." Progressives were furious in March when Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, 74, voted to advancea Trump-approved spending bill. Some progressives were appalled as Democrats joined Republicans in voting fora transgender sports banand theLaken Riley Act, which requires officials to detain undocumented immigrants accused of certain crimes. Rakov said his campaign is driven by the generational divide. "I think not everything has to be a fight to the death, but there absolutely does need to be some fight in our leaders, and I think the voters are wanting to see that," he said. There are currently 13 House members between 80 and 89, according to a JanuaryPew Research Center survey, and 68 between 70 and 79. One Senator is older than 90, five are between 80 and 89, and 27 are between ages 70 and 79. Trump turns 79 on June 14.Joe Bidenwas 82 when he left office. Blair, who was chair of the Gwinnett County Board of Education in Georgia, said Democrats are missing opportunities to reach voters on Twitch,TikTok, gaming platforms and podcasts. "I think we just keep it real. People don't necessarily want to hear the wonky principles of your policy agenda," he said. "They kind of want to hear that you feel the pain that they feel, and that you have a plan for it." Senior Democrats brushed off age concerns. Pelosi, a Bay Area powerhouse, is now serving her 20th term. Shemade history in 2007as the first female House speaker − and frequently sparred with Trump during his first term. Sherman, who represents parts of Los Angeles County, typicallygets at three to six primary challengersevery year; some in their 30's like Rakov. "If I'm ever beat, it's going to be somebody with a long record of active involvement in the community organizations of my district," he said. "But it's not going to be by somebody who just shows up in the district and says, 'I worked for Sherman back in 2017,'" he said of Rakov. Rakov said he lived in Texas, New York and Connecticut before moving to California earlier this year. But the insurgents cling to hope, recalling Ocasio-Cortez's 2018 upset over Rep. Joseph Crowley, a top House Democrat. Ocasio-Cortez, then 28, ousted Crowleyby more than 10 percentage points. "Know your community. It's important to have the right message. It's important to have the right values," Ocasio-Cortez told USA TODAY when asked how young Democrats can win. The old guard isn't worried. "No matter how old you are, you still got to run on your record…if you want to dance, you got to pay the fiddler," said Connecticut Democrat Rep. John Larson, 76. Larson was in the spotlight after freezing on the House floor in Februarydue to a "complex partial seizure"and sufferinga brief pauseat a press conference in April. He's been in Congress since 1999. Other elder Democracts include Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, 85, California Rep. Maxine Waters, 86 and Illinois Rep. Danny Davis, 83. Hoggannounced in Aprilthat his group, Leaders We Deserve, would spend $20 million on young challengers in safe blue districts. But DNC chairman Ken Martinurged committee officersto stay neutral in primaries, giving Hogg an ultimatum: Resign from the committee or end his role in primary challenges. The DNC credentials committee later votedin favor of a May 12 resolutionthat recommended voiding Hogg's election as vice chair. Some have argued the biggest divide in the Democratic party isn't over age, but who's willing to pick a fight. "It's about fighters versus folders," said Texas Rep. Greg Casar, 35, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. "You know, Lloyd Doggett...he's been in Congress for 30 years. He is a fighter," Casar said of his fellow Lone Star Democrat. "Nobody accuses him of being a folder. Bernie Sanders...he's got more energy than half the chamber combined." People "know we're not going to win every fight, but they need to see us taking every single fight on because Trump's rhetoric is hitting different," said Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who scoreda major upsetagainst a ten-term Democratic incumbent in 2018. "We have to move differently. We have to match their energy. I'm not 25 and I feel that way," Pressley, 51, said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Can young Democrats really threaten Pelosi's old guard?
