Bill Pascrell, a Democrat, was elected to the U.S. House to represent New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District, beating William Prempeh by nearly 14,813 votes, according to The New York Times.

85-year-old Bill Pascrell grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, and attended Fordham University, the first member of his family to graduate high school. Pascrell has served in the House of Representatives since 1997 and after running for reelection this November is successfully continuing his position. His Republican opponent, William Prempeh, is a Patersonian like him and a 32-year-old retired Air Force veteran. This was the second time that they ran against each other.

Throughout his campaign, Pascrell has utilized Twitter to vocalize his concerns in the country. These issues involve healthcare, environmental safety, and public safety. He is also consistent in advocating for gun reform and criminal justice reform. Pascrell has openly supported the Inflation Reduction Act, accessibility to voter registration for all, energy and climate provision, right to an abortion, gun control, and social justice policies. His opponent, Prempeh, and he do not agree on the majority of these topics; he is in favor of them and Prempeh is against most of them. According to NJ Spotlight News, the election has been “challenging”.

The main criticism of Pascrell’s reelection in the office is his age— he is 85 years old. Evan Grant, a Wayne Hills senior, said, “Pascrell should settle down and enjoy his life. He is too old to be in office–especially in this democratically dominated state.”  His age is viewed by students as an attribute that will impact his ability to perform in office.

Most critiques from students had the same consensus. Senior, Drew Oppenheim, felt that “he’s going to drop dead in the office. I want a representative who will stay in office and stay consistent.” While most students expressed this concern, Pascrell’s recent win proves that his age is not an attribute that held him back in this election, despite contrary beliefs.

Pascrell beat Prempeh and proved that his age does not define his ability to represent New Jersey’s 9th district and that his age does not deter voters from electing him. He will take office at noon on January 3rd, for the second time, and is “From the bottom of my heart thank you to the greatest state in America” from his Twitter account.