Rep. Jerry Nadler will not seek reelection in 2026, he announced Tuesday, heeding Democrats’ calls for senior lawmakers to step aside and allow for younger candidates to run for office.
“This decision has not been easy. But I know in my heart it is the right one and that it is the right time to pass the torch to a new generation,” Nadler, who is 78, said in a statement.
Nadler’s retirement, first reported by The New York Times on Monday, comes amid a growing push for the Democratic Party to prioritize younger leadership and generational change.