There has been a lot of hand-wringing about why so many people are disengaged from politics. Although the recent NYC municipal election showed increased turnout, we are still nowhere near the vast majority of the voting eligible population showing up to participate in elections. What we have seen is clear: When voters are given a candidate with innovative ideas, they are more inclined to turn out to vote. Voter apathy is rampant, but giving people a reason to go out to vote could help turn the tides in our country and with our leaders.
This may be a controversial statement, but it is time for some of our leaders to pass the baton to the next generation. What we are seeing in both parties, but especially in the Democratic party across the country, are leaders who have been amazing public servants and now refuse to exit stage left. When so many leaders are in their seventies and eighties, and have held public office for three decades and more, we need to think about a succession plan.
We know the incumbency advantage is real. Many of the elected leaders hold senior committee positions and use that as a justification to maintain their seats. These same individuals also tend to be amazing fundraisers and have a core group of donors and constituents who deliver them back to Washington, D.C., and their various state houses every two or four years. However, when someone young with new ideas or innovative ways of thinking about calcified problems attempts to run, they are often pushed to the side, dismissed as unrealistic, and painted as interlopers who aren’t deserving of the seat. Incumbency is important, for sure, but it should not serve as a way for individuals to have a job for life.
We are slowly seeing ambitious individuals challenge long-standing politicians who have held their seat for decades. I always think of how former Newark Mayor Cory Booker decided to run for the U.S. Senate in 2013 for a seat that was held by Frank Lautenberg since 1982! How are we supposed to get young people and new voters engaged if they see the same calcified leadership in office for over a quarter century?
I do think there is a role and necessity for seniority in Congress and state houses, but we must think of better ways to support newcomers and those who want to become public servants with innovative ideas and a slightly external perspective. It is our responsibility to participate in primaries and learn more about new candidates before we just pull the lever for the name we have always known. We may end up supporting the incumbent — or we may just be pleasantly surprised.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of the books “How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams” and “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.