Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), the longest-serving New Yorker in the House, announced he will not seek reelection in 2026, saying it is time for “generational change” within the Democratic Party. In an interview with The New York Times, Nadler said President Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race after a difficult debate with Donald Trump reinforced his decision. He argued that a younger successor might be better positioned to confront Trump, whom Democrats frequently label authoritarian, even as courts have blocked or limited many of his initiatives.
Nadler, 78, said the decision was not easy but felt it was the right moment to “pass the torch.” First elected in 1992, he chaired the House Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2023 and served as a manager during Trump’s first impeachment. He stepped aside from Judiciary leadership in late 2024 after a challenge from Rep. Jamie Raskin and was also facing a primary challenge from 26-year-old Liam Elkind, who has argued the party needs to be more generationally relevant and combative.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised Nadler as a relentless defender of civil rights and democracy. Nadler’s tenure also saw controversy, including a June incident in which DHS officers handcuffed a staffer inside his Manhattan district office during an immigration-related dispute, an event captured on video and widely criticized by Democrats.