Lowey, 82, has served as the chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee since the beginning of the year — the first woman to hold the post.
ADVERTISEMENTRep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., said Thursday she wouldn't run for re-election next year, bringing to a close a career in Congress that spanned more than three decades.
"After 31 years in the United States Congress, representing the people of Westchester, Rockland, Queens and the Bronx, I have decided not to seek re-election in 2020," Lowey said in a statement.
"I am proud of the help my office has provided to thousands of constituents on matters ranging from health insurance and veterans' benefits to Social Security and student loans," Lowey said.
"Thank you to the people of my district for the opportunity to serve," she added. "I will continue working as hard as ever - with the same optimism and energy - through the end of this term in Congress.
Lowey, 82, has served as the chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee since the beginning of the year — the first woman to hold the post.
She had emerged in recent years as a vocal critic of President Donald Trump.
Lowey was first elected to Congress in 1988 and has comfortably cruised to re-election in all 15 of her subsequent races. In 2018, her last election, she beat her opponent, Reform Party candidate, Joseph Ciardullo, 88 percent to 12 percent.
Lowey's district includes much of the suburban area north of New York City, including most of Westchester County and all of Rockland County.
Politics watchers have speculated for years that Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, could run for the seat once Lowey retires.