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Rep. Nydia Vel\u00e1squez announced she will not seek reelection in New York\u2019s 7th Congressional District. <\/p>\n
File photo by Todd Maisel<\/p>\n
U.S. Rep. Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez, the veteran progressive congresswoman who has represented New York\u2019s 7th Congressional District for more than three decades, announced Thursday that she will not seek reelection next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vel\u00e1zquez, who is 72 years old and was first elected in 1993, called for a new generation of the Democratic Party to step forward.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is still so much work to be done, and I feel the urgency of this moment every day. Our country faces crises on multiple fronts. Every day the Trump administration is working to undermine civil rights and our democracy,\u201d Vel\u00e1zquez said in a statement, \u201cAt the same time, the American Dream is slipping further away for working people as wealth inequality worsens and life becomes less affordable. But I believe in the resiliency of the American people and the ability of a new generation of leaders who are ready for these great challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Nydia Vel\u00e1squez, also known as \u201cLa Luchadora,\u201d was known for her grit and trailblazing spirit.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n
She called serving New Yorkers in Congress\u00a0 \u201cthe honor of my life,\u201d adding,\u00a0\u201cThank you to everyone who has been part of this journey; nothing I have accomplished would have been possible without your support.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0Vel\u00e1squez made history as the first U.S. representative born in Puerto Rico, and became a defining figure in New York politics. She chaired the House Committee on Small Business, led the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and championed working-class New Yorkers and testified at the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Her tenacity in office earned her the nickname \u201cLa Luchadora,\u201d or \u201cThe Fighter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her retirement marks the second departure this year from New York City\u2019s congressional delegation. U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-10) announced his retirement<\/a> in September after 34 years of service.\u00a0<\/p>\n Vel\u00e1squez declined to tell The New York Times<\/a> her preferred successor, but her open seat will attract significant interest ahead of the primaries. The 7th district stretches from parts of northeast Brooklyn and western Queens, in areas that overwhelmingly went to mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani<\/a> in the Nov. 4 mayoral election.<\/p>\n News of her departure quickly prompted reactions from city leaders.\u00a0 Mayor-elect Mamdani, whom Vel\u00e1zquez endorsed early in the election cycle, said in a statement<\/a> on X that she\u00a0 \u201chas always been a champion and tireless advocate for immigrants, small businesses and working families.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour grace and fight showed us what real leadership looks like. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, La Luchadora.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Vel\u00e1zquez said Mamdani\u2019s election signaled New York is ready for new leadership, and would be taken care of.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \u201cNew York\u2019s recent mayoral election showed that Americans are hungry for change and determined to build a better future,\u201d she said in a statement. \u201cMy district is home to so many dedicated elected officials, community leaders, and activists, and I have complete confidence that NY-7 will remain in good hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez joins Nadler as the second NYC congressmember to announce their retirement.Wikimedia Commons\/Rhododendrites\n<\/p>\n