Nadler to retire next year, signaling generational shift in Democrats

Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, a liberal stalwart in Congress for 34 years, said he will not seek reelection next year, announcing his decision in an interview published Monday by The New York Times. Nadler, 78, who represents a swath of Manhattan that includes neighborhoods from Union Square through Central Park, said he was stepping aside to allow a generational change in the Democratic Party.

Nadler told the Times that watching what happened to President Joe Biden during last year’s abbreviated reelection campaign convinced him younger leaders should take on greater responsibility. "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 said, adding that a younger successor "can maybe do better, can maybe help us more." He also suggested some colleagues should consider retirement, while noting he was not calling for wholesale replacement of the party’s leadership.

A leading liberal voice in the House for decades, Nadler has been at the center of major national fights over civil rights, LGBTQ protections and congressional oversight. First elected in 1992, he has served 17...