Top Democrats Angling for Health Gavels Face Tough Primaries

Two longtime Democrat lawmakers are poised to lead committees with a wide range of authority over health policy if Democrats take the House in November—but first, they must survive competitive primary challengers who are arguing a quarter-century of experience in Congress is a liability, not a strength.

Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), 68, and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), 75, are facing a base scarred by the twilight of Joe Biden’s presidency that increasingly is demanding a new generation of policymakers as the party looks to flip congressional control.

The lawmakers, who both joined Congress in the late 1990s, insist they’re not going ...