Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the powerful upper West Side liberal, says he won’t run for reelection in 2026, citing the need for younger Democratic leaders to power the party into the future.
Nadler, 78, said in an interview that the drama over former President Biden’s initial decision to run for reelection in 2024 and his abrupt withdrawal from the race, convinced him it was important to pass the baton to a more dynamic successor in good time.
“Watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party, and I think I want to respect that,” Nadler told the New York Times.
He said the need to defend democracy against President Trump’s aggressive right-wing push also made his decision more urgent.
“A certain amount of change is very helpful, especially when we face the challenge of Trump and his incipient fascism,” he said.
Nadler, who was first elected in 1992, said he plans to remain in office until voters choose a successor in the midterms to represent his deep blue seat, which is the most heavily Jewish congressional district in the nation.
The race for the district, which was reshaped to also include much of the upper East Side in the most recent round of redistricting, is likely to attract a crowded Democratic primary field.
