Rep. Jerry Nadler, the former chair of the House Judiciary Committee who helped spearhead President Donald Trump’s impeachment, announced in an interview with The New York Timeson Monday that he won’t seek re-election next year.
The 78-year-old Democrat from New York, who has served in Congress since 1992, cited Joe Biden’s loss last year in his decision.
“Watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party, and I think I want to respect that,” he told The New York Times.
Nadler’s decision to retire comes amid a broader push for generational change in the Democratic Party after the election. He said other senior Democrats could consider stepping aside.
“I’m not saying we should change over the entire party,” he said. “But I think a certain amount of change is very helpful, especially when we face the challenge of Trump and his incipient fascism.”
Nadler had already relinquished his role as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee amid private concerns among House Democrats about his ability to stand up to Trump, prompting a challenge for the Judiciary job from a younger colleague, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.). Nadler achieved national prominence when he served as a manager of Trump’s first impeachment, though his handling of the impeachment probe leading up to it drove conflict with then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Nadler’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Nadler already faced a 2026 primary challenger who was trying to turn his age against him. The deep-blue seat is now likely to face a Democratic free-for-all to succeed Nadler.
