Former Vice President Joe Biden told a Bay Area, California, fundraising event Saturday he won't be dismissed as "the old guy" of the 2020 Democratic presidential field, the Mercury News first reported.

I know I get criticized. 'Biden says he can bring the country together.' Well guess what, I refuse to accept, 'He's the old guy.' I refuse to accept the status quo."

Why it matters: Biden's age and decades-long career in politics has exposed him to critiques of his public voting record, among other things.

During Thursday's Democratic primary debate, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) referenced the former vice president's failed 1988 presidential bid — in which Biden, then 44 years old, said it was "time to pass the torch to a new generation." Swalwell pointed out he was 6 years old when Biden made that statement.

The big picture: Biden, 76, is the second eldest Democratic presidential candidate after 77-year-old Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Go deeper: Joe Biden on the issues, in under 500 words