Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, the longest-serving New Yorker in the House, will not seek reelection in 2026, stating that there’s a “necessity for generational change in the party.”
In an interview published Monday in The New York Times, Nadler said that after watching former President Joe Biden withdraw from the 2024 election following his rough debate against President Trump, he decided a younger successor “can maybe do better, can maybe help us more.”
“I’m not saying we should change over the entire party,” Nadler told The New York Times. “But I think a certain amount of change is very helpful, especially when we face the challenge of Trump and his incipient fascism.”
He did not tell the Times who he would prefer succeed him.
Nadler, 78, was first elected to Congress in 1992. He was chair of the House Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2023 and then served as ranking member until Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland launched his bid to unseat Nadler. The New York Democrat made the decision to step down in December 2024. Nadler also served as a manager of Mr. Trump’s first impeachment.
Nadler was facing a primary challenge from 26-year-old Liam Elkind. Elkind told CBS News in August that the party needs “to be the party of fighters. We need to be the party of organizers. We need to be more generationally relevant, better organized and ready to fight.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a statement called Nadler “a relentless fighter for justice, civil rights and liberties and the fundamental promise of equality for all.”
“As the legendary Chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, he helped lead two historic impeachments and ensure that no one, not even the President, is above the law,” Jeffries said. “In that role, he championed legislation to protect our democracy and the American way of life, fighting for women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community, including enshrining into law the Respect for Marriage Act. … Jerry’s years of leadership have earned him a spot among our nation’s greatest public servants. He will be deeply missed by the House Democratic Caucus next term and we wish him and his family the very best in this new chapter.”
