Another aging lawmaker heeds call to retire: 'Time to pass the torch'

On Monday, yet another Democratic representative announced retirement amid growing scrutiny over the number of aging members within the caucus.

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), 80, the first Black woman to represent her state and a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, put out a statement signaling her intent not to seek another term in office, Politico reported.

“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.”

Watson Coleman, who was one of several New Jersey officials at a protest against a privately run immigrant detention facility in Newark that saw clashes with Trump administration agents and the prosecution of another lawmaker, implored her fellow representatives to “continue to stand and fight against those who would target the vulnerable and attempt to harm our democracy” in her absence.

This comes amid a number of other more senior Democratic lawmakers heeding widespread calls to step aside for a new generation of leadership, one of the most prominent being Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), who has been at the forefront of a number of congressional investigations of the Trump administration for years.

Others have thus far not signaled any intent to step down, including Washington, D.C. nonvoting delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, despite widespread reports that she has slowed down and disengaged from her duties in office.