At 87 years old, Maxine Waters is not stepping aside — and she wants everyone to know it. The California congresswoman, widely known and celebrated as “Auntie Maxine,” has made clear that she intends to remain in leadership, including as chair of the House Financial Services Committee, if Democrats reclaim the majority in November’s midterm elections. In a political climate increasingly obsessed with age and generational change, Waters is making her own position unmistakably plain.
Maxine Waters Fights Back Against Age Criticism With Energy and Conviction
The conversation around Waters is not a new one, but it has intensified as the midterm elections approach and calls for younger political leadership grow louder across the Democratic Party. Some colleagues have questioned whether, at her age, she still has the capacity to lead one of the most consequential committees in Congress. Waters has responded the only way she knows how — directly and without apology.
“If you take a look at my energy and what I do — I am Auntie Maxine,” she told Politico. “I’m the one who popularized ‘reclaiming my time.’ I don’t know who’s got more energy, more concern. And so, Maxine Waters seems to be doing alright.”
That response captures everything that has made Waters a cultural and political phenomenon for decades. She does not shrink from confrontation. She does not soften her position to make critics more comfortable. She simply keeps going — and the people who work alongside her say the energy behind those words is entirely real.
Colleagues Who Know Her Best Say Waters Is Still Fully Up for the Job
While some voices in the Democratic Party have raised age as a concern, the lawmakers and aides who work most closely with Waters tell a different story. Those who observe her day to day consistently push back on the idea that her age is a barrier to effective leadership.
Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL), who serves alongside Waters on the House Financial Services Committee, made a careful but important distinction when asked about her fitness for the role.
“I am a firm believer that when people are visibly past their time, it’s time to sort of have some hard conversations. That’s a mental issue, not an age issue. And I don’t have any concern that she’s mentally up for the job.”
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) was similarly supportive, saying she is “still hitting her three-pointer.” These are not hollow endorsements. They are assessments from colleagues who watch her operate in real time — and what they are describing is a legislator who remains sharp, engaged, and effective.
The Historic Legacy Waters Is Fighting to Protect and Expand
Understanding why Waters is so determined to hold her position requires understanding what she has already built. Elected to represent California’s 43rd Congressional District in 1991, she became the first woman and the first Black person to chair the House Financial Services Committee in 2019 — a milestone that represented decades of barrier-breaking work and hard-earned political capital.
If Democrats win the majority and Waters retains her chairmanship, she would become the oldest leader in the committee’s history. The issues on its agenda — cryptocurrency regulation, Wall Street oversight, and protections for working people against the interests of the ultra-wealthy — are not abstract policy questions. They are issues with direct and daily consequences for the communities Waters has always fought to protect.
Her record of crossing the aisle when necessary has added weight to her effectiveness. Waters has spoken about her approach to bipartisan legislation openly:
“I work very hard with the opposite side of the aisle when there are bills that my members may be interested in to see if we can work out the differences so that they have a chance to move — sometimes even though it’s not with a Democratic bill but a Republican bill.”
That pragmatism, combined with her uncompromising values, is a combination that does not appear overnight. It is built over decades of experience — exactly the kind of experience that cannot simply be replaced by enthusiasm and youth.
The National Debate Over Age Limits and What It Means for Black Political Power
The question surrounding Waters is part of a broader national conversation about age in elected office — and the numbers suggest that conversation is resonating with voters. A new poll from Daily Mail/JL Partners found that 63% of American voters support age limits for elected officials, with 70 identified as the preferred cut-off age. If such a limit were in place, it would force out not just Waters, but also Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, along with Reps. Bennie Thompson and Jim Clyburn.
Waters’ primary challenger, Myla Rahman, has framed the call for change in the language of generational transition rather than personal criticism.
“She’s done a lot of great work. But we’re saying, let’s pass the baton and let a new generation of leadership come have a seat at the table.”
That is a legitimate political argument — but Waters has her own response to it, one rooted in democratic principle rather than defensiveness.
“I believe that everybody who wants to run should have an opportunity to run. 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. And that’s the way we should think about it.”
In other words, the voters should decide. And if her constituents keep choosing her, that choice deserves respect — regardless of what age-limit polls suggest.