Jon Tester said he wants to make sure he does not stay too long in Washington.

Without naming names, Tester told NBC, "I've watched it happen too many times in my time in the Senate."

Tester said he's seen colleagues "deteriorate to the point where they're just a shell of what they formerly were."

Democratic Sen. Jon Tester said during his time in Congress he's seen colleagues who have stayed in Washington so long that they become "just a shell of what they formerly were."

"I've watched it happen too many times in my time in the Senate, and it's a pitiful thing to watch, where really good people, both sides of the aisle, really, really good people, have stellar careers in public service, really deteriorate to the point where they're just a shell of what they formerly were," Tester told NBC News in an interview published Thursday.

Tester is fighting for reelection in 2024 in what is expected to be one of the closest-contested Senate races in the nation. The outspoken Democrat said he didn't know if he were to win if this would be his final term in Washington, but he made it clear that he did not want to stay too long.

"I mean, look, the last thing I want to have happen is stay there too long."

While Tester didn't name specific colleagues to NBC, his comments come as national worries heightened over the age and standing after recent episodes. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell froze up during a recent news conference. While Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who at 90 is the chamber's oldest member, continues to have moments where she appears confused and not fully aware of what's going on.

Insider devoted a series of reports, through its "Red, White, and Gray" project, to exploring the nation's growing gerontocracy. Insider-commissioned polling found that Americans would strongly support an age cap on members of Congress, but such a limit would likely require a constitutional amendment. Tester's own comments highlight what Insider found at the time: an apprehension among even the younger lawmakers on the Hill to embrace an age limit. In the face of such opposition, it is extremely unlikely such a requirement comes anytime soon.

Like some of his colleagues, Tester said he prefer the verdict on fitness for office be left up to the voters.

"The voters know that; the voters know that," he said. "They can see what I can see."

As for Tester's own race, fellow Montana Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican who leads the Senate GOP campaign arm, has embraced businessman and former NAVY Seal Tim Sheehy. While national Republicans are coalescing around Sheehy, Rep. Matt Rosendale, a staunch conservative, has yet to rule out a run.

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