Dem Rep. Jerry Nadler to Retire from Congress

Veteran Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) will not seek re-election to the House of Representatives next year, marking an end to his 34-year-long run representing Manhattan in Congress.

Nadler, 78, cited the need for a “generational change” as the reason for calling it quits, and appeared to suggest that watching former President Joe Biden’s decline was also a factor.

“Watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party,” the congressman told the New York Times, “and I think I want to respect that.”

A younger replacement “can maybe do better, can maybe help us more,” he added.

There is expected to be massive interest in Nadler’s seat.

“It’s a big deal. Nadler is a legend. He’s an institution in both Manhattan and Washington,” a Democratic Party insider told The Post.

“His retirement represents a generational opening. I could see at least a half dozen people running for that seat in a Democratic primary,” the insider added.

Potential candidates include Empire State Assemblyman Micah Lasher and New York City Councilman Erik Bottcher, according to the source.

Former New York City Comptroller and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer would also be a serious contender for Nadler’s seat.

Stringer, a former state assemblyman representing Manhattan’s Upper West Side, has long been a close ally of Nadler.

Nadler did not reveal who he plans to support to take over his seat, but he reportedly intends to back Lasher – his former aide – in 2026, according to the New York Times.

Retirement rumours involving Nadler, the longest serving New Yorker in Congress, have swirled for years, amid age and health concerns.

The congressman struggled with obesity for decades before undergoing gastric bypass surgery in 2002.

In 2019, Nadler was rushed to a hospital after nearly collapsing at a Manhattan press conference.

He’s also been caught dozing off at multiple House Judiciary Committee hearings in recent years.

Nadler, the former chairman of the powerful panel, bowed out of the race to keep his top spot on the committee late last year, and was replaced by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.)

As leader of the Judiciary Committee, Nadler helped lead the two impeachments of President Trump.

The congressman cited Trump’s presidency as a reason for why he was hesitant to retire, but said he now believes more his older Democratic colleagues should consider making way for a new generation.

“I’m not saying we should change over the entire party,” he 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.”

First elected to Congress in 1992, Nadler is the 10th most senior member of the House of Representatives and the eighth most senior Democrat, according to Axios.

He is one of four House Democrats retiring without plans to seek a different office.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) described Nadler as a “proud son of New York City” and “relentless fighter for justice, civil rights and liberties and the fundamental promise of equality for all” in a statement after the news broke.

“As Dean of the New York delegation, Congressman Nadler has been a dear friend and valued mentor to myself and so many others throughout the People’s House,” Jeffries said.

“Jerry’s years of leadership have earned him a spot among our nation’s greatest public servants,” the Democratic leader added. “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.”