Aging Democratic lawmakers have faced escalating calls to step aside and make way for a new generation of leaders since last year’s stinging election losses.
But the uncomfortable conversations about the party’s old guard have largely sidestepped Ohio Rep. Marcy Kaptur, who turned 79 last week and is the longest-serving woman in the history of Congress.
A populist from the heartland with working-class roots, Kaptur first came to the House in 1983 and has managed to keep winning in a state that has become increasingly red in recent years.
