Politicians should pass the torch to the next generation, not cling to power
I truly believe in experienced leadership. Our long-serving elected officials have fought battles, built relationships and helped move communities forward.
But leadership is not only about holding power; it’s also about handing it off well. In a moment defined by rapid change and rising urgency, districts deserve leaders who can govern effectively now and actively cultivate successors who can carry the work forward.
That’s the national tension we’re living in: communities evolve faster than Congress does. Technology, the economy, public safety, health care and cost-of-living pressures are reshaping daily life, and voters want representation that moves with the speed of the moment, not representation stuck in a permanent incumbency mindset.
Across the country, generational transition is no longer a whisper; it’s an open debate, and Democratic Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington’s nonvoting delegate in the House — who has served since 1991 — is one of the names at the center of it.
Longevity does not equate to effective outcomes
In Georgia’s 13th District (parts of Clayton, Henry, Rockdale, Newton, Gwinnett and DeKalb counties), the question is especially timely.
U.S. Rep. David Scott, D-Atlanta, was elected in 2002 and has served in Congress since 2003. At some point, longevity has to be measured against outcomes, not just years.
Two decades is enough time for any leader to leave a mark, and it’s also long enough for the district to fairly ask whether representation is still as sharp, present and future-focused as the moment requires.
This isn’t about dismissing experience; it’s about insisting on a plan for transition, effectiveness and next-generation leadership.
All the while, some of the very members who have risen to power — thanks to these advancements — no longer have the stamina or the fortitude to meet the urgency and extremity of the moment.
As initial trailblazers, their districts have transformed, with new industries, younger voters and changing demographics.
Across the country, Congress members like Holmes Norton face mounting criticisms from dearly beloved former colleagues to retire.
They represent a generation whose dedication is unquestioned and commendable, but whose grip on power increasingly feels out of step with the existential dilemmas of the political moment. The result is an electorate that feels detached from its leaders and politics that focus on the past instead of embracing the future.
Pelosi and Coleman knew when to step aside
Meanwhile, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., offer a different model.
Each announced her retirement with clarity and confidence, leaving on a high note rather than clinging to one. They understood that leadership is not diminished by transition, it is defined by it. Their example shows that stepping aside at the right time isn’t an act of weakness, it’s the ultimate act of respect for both the institution and the people it serves.
Metro Atlanta and Georgia, as a whole, deserve that same courage. Its residents, from Snellville to Conyers to Jonesboro, are younger, more engaged and more diverse than ever. They are organizing online, building businesses and demanding representation that understands modern solutions to modern problems.
The lesson is simple: Progress isn’t just about who fought first, it’s about who’s prepared to fight next. When leaders know when to pass the torch, democracy burns brighter. When they don’t, the light begins to dim.
And with the current president and his cronies aimed at benefiting themselves over average Americans, we cannot allow our democracy to be any further eroded. It’s time for many of our longtime public servants to selflessly step aside so that another generation can carry the torch forward.
Everton Blair Jr. is a Democratic primary candidate for U.S. Congress in Georgia’s 13th District and former chairman of the Gwinnett County School Board. The District 13 incumbent is Democratic U.S. Rep. David Scott who was elected to Congress in 2002.
