Jerry Nadler Bio
Jerrold Lewis Nadler (born June 13, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as a U.S. Representative from New York since 1992. A member of the Democratic Party and a longtime resident of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Nadler has represented districts covering Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, including the 17th, 8th, and 10th districts, and since 2023 the 12th district. Before his time in Congress, he served eight terms in the New York State Assembly. Columbia and Fordham-educated, Nadler has been a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, chairing it from 2019 to 2023.
Early Life and Background
Jerrold Lewis Nadler was born into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York City, on June 13, 1947. He is the son of Miriam Nadler (née Schreiber) and Emanuel “Max” Nadler. Nadler has described his father as a “dyed-in-the-wool Democrat” who lost his poultry farm in New Jersey when his son was seven years old.
In his youth, Nadler attended Crown Heights Yeshiva, and he remained the only member of Congress with a yeshiva education as of 2018. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1965, where his debate team partner was future philosopher of science Alexander Rosenberg, and where Dick Morris managed his successful campaign for student government president.
Nadler went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University in 1969, where he joined the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. He later earned a Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law in 1978 while attending evening classes.
Path to US Politics
After graduating from Columbia, Nadler worked as a legal assistant and clerk, first with Corporation Trust Company in 1970 and then with the Morris, Levin and Shein law firm in 1971. In 1972, he served as a legislative assistant in the New York State Assembly before becoming a shift manager at the New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation, a position he held until 1976.
While attending evening courses at Fordham University School of Law, Nadler was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1976, beginning eight consecutive terms in the legislature. He completed his law degree in 1978 and founded and chaired the Assembly Subcommittee on Mass Transit and Rail Freight. He later ran for Manhattan Borough President in 1985 and for New York City Comptroller in 1989, losing both Democratic primaries.
Jerry Nadler Career
Early Career (1976–1991)
Nadler served in the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 1992, sitting in the 182nd through 189th New York State Legislatures. During this period he was also a member of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and its successor, the Democratic Socialists of America, remaining active in the organization as late as 1999.
In 1985, Nadler ran for Manhattan Borough President but lost the Democratic primary to David Dinkins. He also ran as the New York Liberal Party nominee in the general election that year and lost again to Dinkins. In 1989, he campaigned for New York City Comptroller but was defeated in the Democratic primary by Elizabeth Holtzman.
Congressional Breakthrough (1992–Present)
In 1992, Democratic Representative Ted Weiss was expected to run for reelection in the 8th district but died a day before the primary election. Nadler was nominated to replace Weiss and won two elections that November: a special election to finish Weiss’s term and a regular election for a full two-year term. He has represented Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn ever since.
Nadler gained national prominence during the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, when he described the process as a “partisan railroad job.” His district was renumbered as the 10th district in 2013, and he has never dropped below 75 percent of the vote in a general election. In 2020, he faced a primary challenge from activist Lindsey Boylan, receiving less than 75 percent of the vote for the first time.
Judiciary Committee Chair Era (2019–2023)
Nadler chaired the House Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2023, a period that included the first impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. He served as an impeachment manager during the proceedings, and in 2019 he introduced a “three-pronged test” for considering impeachment of a president. For his tenure as chair in the 116th Congress, Nadler earned an “A” grade from the non-partisan Lugar Center’s Congressional Oversight Hearing Index.
He also sponsored major legislation during this period, including the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act in 2019, which passed the House Judiciary Committee in November 2019 and the full House in April 2022. He supported the Equality Act in 2019 and was a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal resolution in 2023.
12th District Era (2023–Present)
After redistricting placed him and longtime House colleague Carolyn Maloney in the same district, Nadler defeated Maloney in the 2022 Democratic primary for the newly drawn 12th district with 56 percent of the vote, then won the general election. The 12th district covers both the west and east sides of Manhattan from 14th Street to 110th Street.
Nadler currently serves as the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee and is also a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He is the dean of New York’s congressional delegation. In September 2025, Nadler announced that he would not seek reelection in 2026.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of Nadler’s most significant moments came when he chaired the House Judiciary Committee during the first impeachment trial of President Trump. He was also a longtime advocate for the Respect for Marriage Act, introducing it in 2009, and for federal cannabis legalization through the MORE Act.
Jerry Nadler Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Nadler was raised in a Jewish family in Brooklyn. His father, Emanuel “Max” Nadler, was a committed Democrat who lost his New Jersey poultry farm when Jerrold was seven years old. His mother, Miriam Nadler (née Schreiber), helped shape his early upbringing in Brooklyn.
Personal Life
Nadler married Josephine Langsdorr “Joyce” Miller in 1976. As of 2013, the couple lived in Lincoln Square on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. In 2002 and 2003, Nadler underwent laparoscopic duodenal switch surgery, which helped him lose more than 100 pounds.