Rep. Frederica Wilson, an 83-year-old Florida Democrat, won’t seek re-election

Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., a former teacher and principal known in Congress for her colorful outfits and matching hats, said she will not seek re-election this fall.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., a former teacher and principal known in Congress for her colorful outfits and matching hats, said in an interview with the Miami Herald she will not seek re-election this fall.

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She is expected to make a formal announcement Friday at a ceremony, where a street in the Miami area is being named in her honor. The street is next to a school that is also named after her.

At 83, Wilson had been part of a cadre of senior lawmakers in their 80s and 90s who had said they were running for another term in 2026 — defying voters who are clamoring for generational change among the nation’s leaders.