Rep. Nita Lowey Is Retiring. Could Chelsea Clinton Seek the Seat?
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Representative Nita M. Lowey, the first woman to lead the powerful House Appropriations Committee, unexpectedly announced on Thursday that she would not seek re-election in 2020.
Ms. Lowey, a New York Democrat who was first elected in 1988, is a staunch ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and she played a key role in the budget negotiations that helped end the country’s longest government shutdown earlier this year. She represents the northern suburbs of New York City, including Westchester and Rockland Counties.
When Ms. Lowey, 82, arrived in Congress after defeating a two-term Republican incumbent, women made up less than 7 percent of the House of Representatives. She was consistently regarded as a pioneer, from her stint as the first woman to lead the campaign arm for House Democrats, to her ascent this year to chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee.
But she was also among a group of powerful, long-serving New York House members who had drawn energetic primary challengers for next year. Mondaire Jones, a 32-year-old Harvard Law graduate who had worked in the Justice Department under former President Barack Obama, raised more than $218,000 last quarter for his primary challenge to Ms. Lowey, arguing that the district needed a more energetic representative.
Ms. Lowey’s announcement set off a wave of speculation about other potential contenders, including Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, as well as a state assemblyman, David Buchwald.
Last year, when asked if she envisioned running for elected office, Chelsea Clinton told The Journal News, which covers the Hudson Valley, that “if someone were to step down or retire,” she would “have to think if it’s the right choice for me.”
Ms. Clinton did not mention any particular office, although she is clearly familiar with Ms. Lowey’s district: Her parents’ house in Chappaqua, N.Y., is in the district. Ms. Clinton herself does not live in Westchester, but congressional candidates are not required to live in the district they represent.
A representative for Ms. Clinton did not return a request for comment. Mr. Buchwald said he would make an announcement within a few days.
Mr. Jones, in a statement, thanked Ms. Lowey for her service. “As a trailblazer for women and minorities such as myself, Congresswoman Lowey set an example and has made it easier for people like me to run for office,” he said, adding that he would be the first openly gay, black member of Congress if elected.
Ms. Lowey never faced a contested primary after first winning her seat, making her one of the two incumbents who had gone the longest without a primary opponent. She also won re-election easily in her general elections, in a district considered safely Democratic.
In an interview after her announcement, Ms. Lowey, who is Jewish, said the decision came after reflection during the High Holy Days.
“I was in synagogue for the Jewish holiday, and I just decided the time was right,” Ms. Lowey said.
She called Ms. Pelosi on Wednesday night to inform her of her decision, before telling her Washington and New York staff and making the announcement public on Thursday morning.
Asked if a primary challenge contributed to her decision, Ms. Lowey replied, “Oh, that’s ridiculous.”
She said she would not yet weigh in on who should replace her: “I will be happy to turn it over to a talented, thoughtful, intelligent person who wins this seat.”
During her time in Congress, Ms. Lowey, an ardent liberal, built a reputation as a gracious but savvy dealmaker, often greeting colleagues with a hug or a pat on the back. As the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, she clashed frequently with President Trump, leading the effort to block funding for the president’s border wall.
During negotiations to end the nation’s longest government shutdown, Ms. Lowey was a key figure in reopening the government after 35 days and upholding the Democratic vow to prevent new funding for the wall, Mr. Trump’s signature campaign promise.
Before she departs Capitol Hill, she will have to lead negotiations for two more years of government funding — including averting a shutdown later this fall when the current stopgap spending bill expires on Nov. 21. The two parties again have yet to reach agreement on funding for Mr. Trump’s wall.
House Democrats have remained adamant that they will reject any money for the border wall, despite the Senate’s effort to include such funds in the bills needed to keep the government funded through the end of the fiscal year.
Ms. Pelosi, in a statement, called Ms. Lowey “a master legislator.”
“In the Congress, Chairwoman Lowey has earned the respect of all our colleagues as a leader who is both gracious and tenacious; who seeks always to find common ground where she can and stands her ground where she can’t,” said Ms. Pelosi, who became so close with Ms. Lowey and another Democrat, Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, that the three were known as DeLoSi, a combination of their last names.
Ms. DeLauro said in a statement on Thursday that she would seek to succeed Ms. Lowey as the Appropriation Committee’s chairwoman. She currently leads the subcommittee responsible for allocating funds toward labor, education, health and human services programs. Ms. DeLauro is one of multiple lawmakers who have indicated interest in succeeding Ms. Lowey as chair of the Appropriation Committee.
Reflecting on her career, Ms. Lowey pointed to a wide range of legislative accomplishments, including anti-drunken-driving initiatives and efforts to require contraceptive insurance coverage for federal employees.
But her proudest achievement, she said, was “essentially breaking the glass ceiling for women” by becoming the first woman to lead the House Appropriations Committee.
She also recalled marching over to the Senate with other Democratic women to demand an airing of Anita F. Hill’s accusations of sexual harassment against Clarence Thomas in his Supreme Court nomination hearing.
“I think what I will miss — in addition to the work — is the friendship with an extraordinary group of women and some good men,” she said.
