Older Democrats walloped by midterms anti-establishment revolt (axios.com)

House Democrats who have comfortably held their seats for decades are suddenly finding the ground shifting beneath their feet as primary voters revolt against the party's old guard. Why it matters: The anti-establishment revolution that has swept Democratic primaries this year is poised to drastically alter the makeup of the party caucus and Congress as a whole. Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) became the latest victim of this trend: The 78-year-old lost his primary by more than 20 percentage points to 47-year-old former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin . Larson emerged as a top target for the Democratic youth brigade after he suffered a highly publicized freeze-up during a House floor speech last year that he later said was due to a complex partial seizure . By the numbers: Larson is one of seven House Democrats who have lost their primaries this year — five of whom are past retirement age. Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), 69, Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), 70, and Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), 71, all lost challenges to younger opponents affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), 78, lost to 38-year-old freshman Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas) after the two were placed in the same seat by GOP-led mid-decade redistricting. These losses, along with the ousters of Reps. Julie Johnson (D-Texas) and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), make 2026 tied with 2012 as the worst year for Democratic incumbents in primaries in the 21st century. What they're saying: " Democratic voters are hungry for a new generation of leaders who can credibly argue they'll fight for change," Amanda Litman, founder of progressive group Run For Something, told Axios. Bronin's defeat of Larson — who positioned himself as the progressive in the race — shows that "'sick of the status quo' cuts across ideological lines," Litman said. "We have a generation of younger people who are fed up," former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, whose group Leaders We Deserve has been supporting many of these primary challenges, said in an interview. Hogg added: "Generational change and the change of the status quo is the story of the cycle." The other side: "200 Democrats are running for reelection in primaries and almost every one of them had a younger challenger," Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), 71, told Axios. Sherman, who easily dispatched a well-funded challenge from 42-year-old former Biden administration official Jake Levine this year, said he has "always had a younger challenger, it's just not a race that you notice." "You're only going to focus on the five or 10 where the younger challenger got close or won," he said. What we're hearing: A senior House Democrat, asked how Sherman survived while Larson lost, said Larson "didn't work [his] district hard" while Sherman "worked his district." "People are demanding change," acknowledged another senior House Democrat. "I personally think members should retire at 75." Between the lines: A clear trend noted by both Hogg and Sherman is that challengers