Prominent House Democrat Nita Lowey announces she will not run for reelection
Democratic Congresswoman Nita Lowey, the chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and an ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, announced that she is not running for reelection on Thursday. Lowey, 82, has served her New York City area district since 1989.
"It is my deep honor and privilege to serve my community and my country, and I will always be grateful to the people of Westchester, Rockland, Queens and the Bronx who have entrusted me to represent them during my tenure in Congress," Lowey said in a statement.
Lowey, the first woman to serve as chair of the Appropriations Committee, was first elected in 1988. She has been a staunch supporter of Pelosi.
The New York representative would have faced her first primary challenge since that election in 2020, from 32-year-old Mondaire Jones who planned to run against Lowey from the left.
Jones said in a July interview with CBS News that Lowey was no longer fighting for the constituents of her district.
"We need a fighter in Washington and we have not had that, especially in recent years," Jones told CBS News. "I don't think Nita has been fighting nearly enough for this district," Jones continued, adding that he didn't believe Lowey could relate to the struggles exhibited by many of the lower income residents in her district as one of the wealthier members of the House.