Overview
- Watson Coleman announced Monday that she will serve through the end of her current term and not run again, saying it is time to pass the torch.
- At 80, she was the first Black woman elected to represent New Jersey in Congress after 17 years in the state Assembly, where she became majority leader and later chaired the state party.
- She represents the 12th District covering Trenton and Princeton, which analysts consider strongly Democratic and not competitive in 2026.
- A competitive Democratic primary is already forming, with previously filed candidate Kyle Little joined by newly announced contenders Brad Cohen and Shanel Robinson.
- Her departure joins a series of retirements by senior Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, highlighting generational turnover in the caucus.