Rep. Nydia Velázquez announced Thursday evening that she will not seek re-election in 2026, marking the end of a historic 16-term career in Congress.

“Serving the people of New York City for over three decades has been the honor of my life,” Velázquez said in a post on social media. “Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey, nothing I have accomplished would have been possible without your support.”

Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress and a key figure in the city's progressive political movement, has represented parts of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens since 1993. She has endorsed several rising Democrats over the years, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and city councilmembers Lincoln Restler, Alexa Avilés and Sandy Nurse.

She also backed Z

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