The quiet wisdom of Jerry Nadler's retirement

The liberal stalwart's explanation for why he won't run again is unusually forward-looking.

Sept. 2, 2025, 1:43 PM EDT
By Zeeshan Aleem

Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, the longest-serving New Yorker and Jewish member of the House, is retiring.

Nadler, a 78-year-old liberal stalwart, has served in Congress for more than three decades. For four years, he chaired the powerful House Judiciary Committee, during which he oversaw two impeachments of President Donald Trump.

Nadler can cite a long list of political accomplishments under his belt. Yet it seems he's retiring not because he feels he's done enough, but because he thinks he ought to make way for a younger generation. The New York Times reports that Nadler's decision was influenced by how former President Joe Biden's age was a problem while in office:

[Nadler] said he hesitated to step aside when he believes that President Trump is threatening the foundations of democracy. But he said he had been persuaded it was time for a changing of the guard. “Watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party, and I think I want to respect that,” Mr. Nadler said, adding that a younger successor “can maybe do better, can maybe help us more.”
https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/jerry-nadler-new-york-democrat-retirement-congress-rcna228516

As always, honest.