COLUMBIA, S.C. — Joe Cunningham made national headlines when he suggested an end to the “geriatric oligarchy” in political office and said on national television that President Joe Biden should step aside in 2024 and let someone younger run.
But the remarks could cost him any in-person campaign help for his Democratic governor run from two of the party’s biggest names: Biden, 79, and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, 82, the state’s highest-ranking Democrat considered a party kingmaker.
Cunningham, 40, in June called for older politicians to make way for a new generation, suggesting there should be a 72-year-old age limit for anyone who wants to hold elected office similar to the state’s cutoff for judges. Cunningham has used the remark to attack Gov. Henry McMaster’s long tenure in South Carolina politics, pointing to the poor conditions of the state’s roads and schools and high crime rates.
