New Jersey Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman won't seek reelection in 2026

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TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Bonnie Watson Coleman, who was the first Black woman elected to represent New Jersey in the U.S. House, said Monday she won't seek reelection next year.

Watson Coleman, 80, said in a statement that she decided not to seek another term after “tremendous thought and reflection” and discussion with her family. A message seeking more detail about her decision was sent to her office.

“I am confident it is the right choice for me and my family who have graciously sacrificed by my side when I placed serving our community above all else and I can truly say, I am at peace with my decision,” she said.

Watson Coleman, a Democrat representing New Jersey's 12th District including the state capital Trenton as well as Princeton, was first elected to the House in 2014. She previously served as a state legislator from 1998 until 2014.

The seat has been reliably Democratic in recent elections.

A self-described progressive, she's been critical of President Donald Trump and said she was proud of her record aimed at fighting poverty and helping create “an economy for all."

She was outside an immigration detention center in Newark along with Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver when authorities arrested the city's mayor on a trespassing charge. It was later dropped, but McIver is being prosecuted on assault charges, which she has pleaded not guilty to.

Watson Coleman supported McIver, calling the charges against her “purely political.”

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden are also retiring.