Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) announced on Sept. 1, 2025, that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026.

In a statement announcing his retirement, Nadler wrote, “Today, I am announcing that I will not be seeking re-election next year and that this term in Congress will be my last. This decision has not been easy. But I know in my heart it is the right one and that it is the right time to pass the torch to a new generation.”

In 1992, Nadler ran unopposed in a special election to serve the remainder of Rep. Theodore Weiss’ (D-N.Y.) term representing New York’s 17th Congressional District. Weiss had earlier died of heart failure. On the same day as the special election, Nadler also ran in the regular general election to represent the renumbered New York’s 8th Congressional District. In the general election, Nadler defeated David L. Askren (R) 60% to 12%.

Nadler won by a median of 53 percentage points in his nine subsequent re-election bids in New York’s 8th Congressional District. His widest margin of victory (MOV) was in 2006, when he won by 64 percentage points. His narrowest MOV was in 2002, when she won by 43 percentage points.

In 2012, redistricting moved Nadler to New York’s 10th Congressional District. In his four re-election bids in the district, in which he ran with major party opposition, Nadler won by a median of 59 percentage points. He ran unopposed in 2014. His widest MOV in the district was in 2018, when he won by 64 percentage points. His narrowest MOV was in 2020, when he won by 51 percentage points.

In 2022, redistricting moved Nadler to New York’s 12th Congressional District. He won the district by 64 percentage points in 2022 and 61 percentage points in 2024.

As of Sept. 2, 2025, independent race forecasters The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections have rated the 2026 general election for New York’s 12th Congressional District Solid Democratic. Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Safe Democratic.

As of Sept. 1, 2025, Nadler was one of 31 members of the U.S. Congress—seven U.S. Senate members and 24 U.S. House members—who have announced they will not seek re-election to their current seats in 2026.

Of the 24 representatives not seeking re-election:

• Six—five Democrats and one Republican—are retiring from public office.
• Nine—five Democrats and four Republicans—are running for the U.S. Senate.
• Eight—all Republicans—are running for governor.
• One Republican is running for state attorney general.

Compared to the last four election cycles, there were 15 retirement announcements at this point in 2024, 19 in 2022, 21 in 2020, and 21 in 2018.

Between January 2011 to September 2025, Ballotpedia followed 327 announcements from U.S. House members who announced they would not seek re-election. January had the highest number of members announcing they would not run for re-election at 57. The fewest announcements took place in June at 15.