US EditionNew York Dem Nydia Velázquez stepping down after 3 decades
Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman in Congress, cites generational change and mentors emerging leaders; her retirement opens a competitive primary in a heavily Democratic district.
- On Thursday, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez announced she will retire next year, ending a historic 16-term congressional career after more than three decades in Congress.
- Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez, a longtime committee leader, has represented parts of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens since 1993 and helped launch the Women-Owned Small Business contracting program.
- Known as 'La Luchadora,' Velázquez endorsed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Lincoln Restler, Alexa Avilés, Sandy Nurse and backed Zohran Mamdani in the mayoral primary.
- Her retirement clears the way for a competitive Democratic primary in the 7th District, and her office did not immediately respond to requests for comment amid other New York retirements.
- Velázquez thanked supporters and said serving New York has been 'the honor of my life' while noting she does not yet know what the next chapter holds, and wrote that now is the right time to step aside for a new generation of leaders.
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63 Articles
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Who’s Running in the 2026 Congressional Primaries in NYC
New Yorkers will vote next June in a primary election to determine who appears on the November ballot to represent them in Congress. The primary carries high stakes, as longtime representatives Nydia Velázquez and Jerry Nadler retire from lengthy careers in Congress, provoking competitive races for their empty seats. In Brooklyn, Manhattan, The Bronx and Queens, a theme has emerged: Progressive candidates, many of them young, are challenging mo…
Democrat Congresswoman To Retire
Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) announced she will not run for re-election. “Serving the people of New York City for over three decades has been the honor of my life,” Velázquez said. “Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey, nothing I have accomplished would have been possible without your support,” she added....
Why are so many NYC Democratic Congress members retiring or facing challenges from younger, left-leaning New Yorkers?
A changing of the guard is underway within New York City's predominantly Democratic congressional delegation, with several members either retiring or facing primary challenges in 2026. U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez, whose district covers parts of north Brooklyn and western Queens, became the second longtime incumbent in the New York City delegation to announce she will not be seeking reelection next year on Thursday night. Both Velázquez and U.S. Re…
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