At 83 years old, John Carter is running for his 13th term in Congress, for Texas’s 31st district, covering the northern suburbs of Austin up to Temple and areas including Fort Cavazos. He’s served 12 terms, totaling over 22 years in office since January 2003. And with his recent health history and high absenteeism rate, experts question whether he should or could be fit for another term

Carter’s health issues first came into question in January 2015, when he was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer at age 74. The tumor required a prostatectomy and brief recovery, “making him miss” one whole week of congressional votes. Carter supposedly returned “cancer-free”; however, at 83 (turning 84 later in November 2025 and 86 by the end of a potential next term in 2028), critics, including lots of X users, are calling him part of Congress’s “corrupt nursing home,” regarding his ability for another term.

Carter has missed a staggering 802 votes (according to GovTrack) since 2003, a 5.4% absence rate, over triple the House’s median of 2.0%. From 2023–2025, he missed or “skipped” about 125 votes (over 10%). And in 2025, an estimated 20–30 votes were also “missed” (5–7% of ~400). Many (including Whitlow) are saying that this reflects neglect, especially for Fort Cavazos’s 40,000+ personnel, who are reliant on his funding advocacy. With the DCCC even calling him “missing in action.”

Carter hasn’t held a public town hall since 2013, skipping a 2017 event attended by over 300 people, and he declined to participate in a 2024 candidate survey. He also stayed silent about 8,000 troops who were booted from the military after refusing the COVID-19 vaccination between 2021 and 2023.

Similar to 83-year-old Kay Granger, Carter seems to be following in her footsteps. After an anonymous tip led reporters to Tradition Senior Living, a luxury facility offering 'assisted living, and memory care, ' where they found Kay Granger. Staff confirmed to reporters that this is Granger's residence, and initial reports claimed she moved there after being found "wandering, lost, and confused" in her neighborhood.

In 2022, Carter was the only name on the ballot, and in 2024, was only opposed by Stuart Whitlow (D), winning approximately 65% - 35%.

Now with Valentina Gomez, a Republican, financier, and ex-D1 swimmer who became famous after exposing pedophiles and advocating for children who are being trafficked, exposing LGBTQ+ and Islamic culture in the United States. Many believe she’s guaranteed to win due to all the Carters' issues.