Democratic Voters Split on Whether Biden’s Age Will Affect His Chances in November

Democrats voting in California and North Carolina said President Biden’s age could be a factor in the November election.

"They should’ve run someone younger, of course, I think that’s obvious,” said Len Raphael, a certified public accountant in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday morning. Although he voted for Biden, Raphael, 72, said he is concerned that voter perceptions of him being too old could cost him precious support nationally in a tight race against former President Donald Trump.

Collette Duthie, a 53-year-old web designer from Oakland, said voting for Biden was an easy choice for her given the threat she sees in a Trump presidency.

“Had I wished there was somebody else running, probably like most Democrats? Yes,” she said. “We’re basically going to have two candidates that are going to be pushing 80,” older than her own parents, she said.

“The other person running is old,” said 31-year-old Ashley Hughes of Cornelius, N.C., who runs the box office at a children’s theater. She was referencing Trump, who is 77, compared with Biden, who is 81.

Shawna Baines, a 53-year-old high-school business teacher in Cornelius, said while she thought Biden’s age could affect his chances in the general election, it wasn’t fair to judge him that way. “He’s still moving,” she said.

Dennis Hill, a 44-year-old underwriter at a bank who lives in Huntersville, N.C., said he still planned to vote for Biden, because “he has the right ideas and will put the right people in place.” Yet Hill said he thinks some people wouldn’t vote for Biden because of his age.”