Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman becomes the 36th U.S. House member who is not seeking re-election in 2026

By

Briana Ryan

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) announced on Nov. 10, 2025, that she will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026.

On her retirement, Coleman posted on X, “I believe in giving voice to truth, speaking truth to power, and I believe as a consequence of that, we have been able to effect real results that will be felt in communities across America for generations. I also believe now is the time to pass the torch to the next leader who will continue leading this charge.”

In 2014, Coleman won her first term in the U.S. House in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District after incumbent Rep. Rush Dew Holt, Jr. (D-N.J.) announced he would not seek re-election. In the general election, Coleman defeated Alieta Eck (R) 61% to 37%.

In her five subsequent re-election bids, Coleman won by 31 percentage points in 2016, 38 percentage points in 2018, 33 percentage points in 2020, 27 percentage points in 2022, and 25 percentage points in 2024.

As of Nov. 4, 2025, independent race forecasters The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections have rated the 2026 general election for the district Solid Democratic. Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Safe Democratic.

As of Nov. 10, 2025, Coleman is one of 44 members of the U.S. Congress—eight U.S. Senate members and 36 U.S. House members—who have announced they will not seek re-election to their current seats in 2026.

Of the 36 representatives not seeking re-election:

  • Twelve—nine Democrats and three Republicans—are retiring from public office.
  • Twelve—six Democrats and six Republicans—are running for the U.S. Senate.
  • Eleven—all Republicans—are running for governor.
  • One Republican is running for state attorney general.

Compared to the last four election cycles, there were 25 retirement announcements at this point in 2024, 24 in 2022, 27 in 2020, and 31 in 2018.

Between January 2011 to November 2025, Ballotpedia followed 335 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.