Rep. Steve Israel To Retire From Congress
U.S. Rep. Steve Israel, a member of the Democratic leadership in Congress, has announced he will not seek reelection this fall, ending an eight-term career in Washington.
The Long Island Congressman said he planned to continue in some form of public service, but didn’t elaborate.
“It is time for me to pursue new passions and develop new interests, mainly spend more time writing my second novel,” Israel said.
Israel, who grew up in heavily Jewish Levittown, has mostly served as a loyal lieutenant to House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.
He has led the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee since 2011, with uneven results. The Democrats picked up eight seats in the 2012 elections but lost 13 in the 2014 midterm elections.
Israel’s district is split between Democrats and Republicans, but voted twice for President Barack Obama.
His retirement could set off a rush for a rare open seat in a competitive district.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
