Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), the longest-serving New Yorker in the House, announced he will not run for reelection in 2026, citing the need for “generational change” within the party.
In an interview with The New York Times published Monday, Nadler said Biden’s 2024 withdrawal after a bruising debate with Trump reinforced his decision, adding that 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 outlet. “But I think a certain amount of change is very helpful, especially when we face the challenge of Trump and his incipient fascism.”
Democrats routinely call President Trump a “fascist” and “authoritarian,” but he has constantly run up against federal court rulings that have curbed many of his initiatives, though several of those rulings have been labeled as constitutionally suspect by Republicans.
For Nadler’s part, he did not say who he wanted to succeed him, only that his decision not to seek reelection “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,” he said.
“I don’t know what the future beyond 2026 holds, but I plan to stay fully engaged in the community that is my home and in the causes that I’ve championed throughout my life,” Nadler continued. “My plans for the next sixteen months, however, are clear. I will continue to give everything I have to defend our democracy, protect our institutions, and fight for the values that as Americans and New Yorkers we share.”
Nadler, 78, was first elected in 1992 and served as House Judiciary Committee chair from 2019 to 2023 before becoming ranking member. A manager in Trump’s first impeachment, he announced in December 2024 he would step down after Rep. Jamie Raskin mounted a challenge for his post.
He was also facing a primary challenge from 26-year-old Liam Elkind.
Elkind told CBS News in August he believes 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, also from New York, 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,” Jeffries continued.
“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,” he added, per CBS News.
In a dramatic incident caught on video, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers handcuffed an aide to Nadler inside his Manhattan district office in June, located in the same federal building as an immigration courthouse.
The video, shared with Gothamist and recorded by someone monitoring immigration court activity, shows DHS officers entering Nadler’s office and accusing staffers of “harboring rioters,” the outlet reported.
One staffer is seen in tears as she is handcuffed, while another officer attempts to enter a private area of the office, prompting a staff member to demand a warrant.
In the video, one officer is seen attempting to enter a private office as a staffer inside repeatedly asks to see a warrant. “I’m a federal officer. We’re here checking on something. We have the right to check,” the officer said.