Longtime Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman announced Monday that she is not running for reelection next year and will retire at the end of her term, saying that it is “time to pass the torch.”
The 80-year-old has served New Jersey’s 12th District since 2015, when she became the first Black woman to represent the state in the House.
Prior to her time in Congress, she was a member of the New Jersey Assembly, where she served as majority leader. Watson Coleman has also chaired the state Democratic Party.
“I made this decision with tremendous thought and reflection, and through many personal conversations with my husband Bill and my family,” Watson Coleman said in a statement. “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.”
