Overview
- Watson Coleman, 80, announced Monday she will retire at the end of her term and did not endorse a successor.
- She said the choice followed extensive conversations with her family and declared it was time to “pass the torch.”
- The six-term lawmaker is the first Black woman to represent New Jersey in Congress and serves on Appropriations and Budget.
- New Jersey’s 12th District, which includes Trenton and Princeton, strongly favors Democrats; early entrants include filed candidate Kyle Little and newly announced contenders Brad Cohen and Shanel Robinson.
- Her departure joins a wave of senior Democratic retirements, including Nancy Pelosi, fueling talk of generational change in the party.