US EditionNew Jersey Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman won’t seek reelection in 2026
- On Nov. 10, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, U.S. Representative , announced she will not seek a seventh term and will retire at the end of 2026.
- A career timeline shows she served 17 years in the New Jersey General Assembly, held leadership roles including Assembly Majority Leader and chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, and became the first Black woman elected to Congress in New Jersey after winning in 2014.
- An appropriator by trade, Watson Coleman prioritized mental health, women's health, and building an economy for all while serving on the House Appropriations and Budget committees; her activism included a July 2022 arrest and a Newark ICE facility oversight visit earlier this year.
- Local Democrats noted that her retirement opens a likely crowded 12th District Democratic primary in the safely blue 12th District following strong New Jersey Democratic results, including Mikie Sherrill's win.
- Against a backdrop of debate over senior lawmakers, Watson Coleman said she will serve the remaining year, urged a successor to `pass the torch`, and added `We have a lot more to do over the next year and the fight goes on`.
39 Articles
39 Articles
N.J. congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman won’t seek reelection in 2026
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, the first Black woman elected to represent New Jersey in the U.S. House, said Monday she won’t seek reelection in the 2026 midterms. The 80-year-old representative said she will retire and that it is “time to pass the torch.” “I made a commitment years ago to always lead the charge on behalf of those I represent, and I believe I have fulfilled that commitment to the very best of my abilities,” she said in a s…
Schumer Gets More Bad News As Another Longtime Democrat Calls It Quits Heading Into Midterms - The American Tribune.com
In yet another blow to the Democrats’ prospects in upcoming elections, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), 80, announced she will not seek re-election in 2026, joining a wave of aging Democrats retiring from Congress, including Nancy Pelosi (85), Sen. Dick Durbin (80), and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (78). For context, despite leading NJ’s 12th District since 2015, she cited the need to “pass the torch.” This retirement is a significant generational shif…
House Democrat Announces Retirement * 100PercentFedUp.com * by Danielle
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) announced on Monday that she will not seek re-election. “She will not seek re-election to a new term as the U.S. Representative for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District concluding a remarkable, barrier-breaking career spanning over 50 years in public service to the State of New Jersey and the nation,” a press release read. “I have been blessed in my life to be surrounded by loved ones who have always valued …
80-year-old House Dem to follow Pelosi into retirement · American Wire News
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-New Jersey, is following former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi into retirement. The 80-year-old lawmaker has officially announced her intent to retire in a post on X. As a refresher, she is one of the congresswomen who stormed the Delaney Hall Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities in a photo op with fellow Democrats Bob Menendez, LaMonica McIver, and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Now, she’s “passing…
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