(The Center Square) — U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez says she won’t be seeking reelection in Congress in next year’s midterm election, becoming the latest septuagenarian member of New York’s Democratic delegation to retire.
Velázquez, 72, made the announcement on Thursday night in a statement that called for generational change in American politics, while highlighting her ascension from a poor Puerto Rican immigrant to representing New York in Congress for more than 30 years.
“After much reflection, I have decided that this will be my last term in Congress,” Velázquez said. “This was not an easy decision, but I believe that the time is right for me to move on and for a new generation of leaders to step forward.”
“Serving New York has been the honor of my life. I will always be grateful for the trust my constituents placed in me over all these years,” she added. “I do not yet know what the next chapter holds, but I know I will continue fighting for the city I love and for an end to Puerto Rico’s colonial status.”
Velázquez made history as the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress and is known to her allies as “La Luchadora” for her fighting spirit. She has served 16 terms — or about 34 years — representing sections of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens since 1993 across two separate congressional districts.
She has been a key figure in shaping New York City’s progressive political movement and is a longtime ally of “squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She also backed Zohran Mamdani, a former Queens assemblyman and democratic socialist, in his successful bid for New York City mayor.
Gov. Kathy Hochul praised Velázquez as a “trailblazer” who has fought for immigrants and helped inspire a generation of young Democratic leaders.
“For more than three decades, she has led with unshakable purpose and delivered meaningful progress for women, veterans, immigrants and communities too often left behind,” Hochul said in a statement. “We became friends when I served with her in Congress, and I’ve continued to seek her wisdom as Governor.”
In her statement, Velázquez recalled her upbringing in a small town of sugar cane fields in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, where she grew up poor with eight other siblings.
“Politics in Washington felt a world away. If you had told that little girl she would one day be the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress, she would never have believed it,” she said.
Velázquez’s decision not to seek reelection is expected to spark a scramble to fill her seat in Congress. Among the potential Democratic contenders are state Sen. Julia Salazar, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and New York City Councilors Jen Gutiérrez and Sandy Nurse, all of whom have expressed interest in running for the seat.
But her departure also comes amid a generational shift of power in U.S. politics, which continue to loom over the national Democratic party after former President Joe Biden’s embarrassing exit from the 2024 presidential race.
Another septuagenarian New York Democrat, Rep. Jerry Nadler, recently said he plans to leave Congress at the end of his term in 2026 and has pushed for “generational change” in his party.
