Ex-aides win primaries to replace retiring Democratic House members

By — Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press By — Gary Fields, Associated Press Gary Fields, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ex-aides-win-primaries-to-replace-retiring-democratic-house-members Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Ex-aides win primaries to replace retiring Democratic House members Politics Jun 24, 2026 4:40 PM EDT BOWIE, Md. (AP) — U.S. Reps. Steny Hoyer and Jerrold Nadler, two of the top Democrats in Congress, are retiring when their terms expire in January, but they will continue to make their imprints on Washington. The pair passed the torch Tuesday night to former aides who won the Democratic primaries to replace them on Capitol Hill, and because both districts are overwhelmingly blue, they are all but certain to win in November and get sworn in to replace their former bosses. READ MORE: Mamdani slate sweeps Democratic primaries in New York, ousts 2 incumbents from Congress Hoyer and Nadler are the latest lawmakers to successfully anoint their successors after spending decades in Congress. Among 68 members of Congress not seeking reelection this year, at least five have endorsed former staffers to replace them and more than a dozen others have, to varying degrees, worked to smooth the path to Capitol Hill for their favored replacements. The practice can be controversial, particularly when lawmakers try to strategically time their announcement to give favored insiders the upper hand. But even at a time when voters give Congress a dismal approval rating, they're often receptive to the recommendation of their own representative. That was the case for Natasha Greensword, 45, who backed Adrian Boafo in Maryland's Democratic primary on Tuesday in part because he was endorsed by Hoyer, who has represented the area since 1981. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. "It was a plus," Greensword said. There was also a racial component that resonated for Greensword, a Jamaican immigrant. "It did help him to have a white man endorsing a Black candidate and saying he's got our backs," she said. Not everyone felt the same way, particularly in the anti-incumbent environment that influenced so many prominent Democrats' decision to step aside. Norma James, 64, said she skipped over Boafo in part because of Hoyer's endorsement. "If Steny was endorsing him, he's not the one you want," James said. Indeed, not every outgoing lawmaker had luck endorsing a successor on Tuesday night. Retiring Democratic Rep. Nydia Velazquez backed Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, who lost Tuesday. That race was won by Assemblymember Claire Valdez, who was endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. "You might actually not want the endorsement of a departing incumbent because even if that incumbent is personally liked, the base of the party