After more than 30 years of public service, Brooklyn Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez on Thursday said she will not seek reelection in 2026.

"After much reflection, I have decided that this will be my last term in Congress," she said in a statement. "This was not an easy decision, but I believe that the time is right for me to move on and for a new generation of leaders to step forward."

Velázquez, 72, who represents Greenpoint, Williamsburg, and parts of Bushwick, grew up in the Yabucoa region in Puerto Rico. After moving to New York to pursue a master's degree, she was the first Latina to serve on the City Council in 1984. She then became a U.S. Representative for Congressional District 12 in 1993, and after redistricting, for District 7.

"I first ran in 1993, because I believed th

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