Nita Lowey, former Westchester congresswoman, known as 'fierce advocate,' dies at age 87

Nita Lowey, a former Democratic congresswoman who represented parts of Westchester and Rockland counties and the Bronx for 32 years, died at her home in Westchester on Saturday, March 15, at age 87, following a long battle with breast cancer.

Lowey, a longtime Harrison resident who retired in 2020, was known as a fierce advocate for women's health in Congress and was a mainstay on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which sets spending priorities. She held the gavel as chairwoman of that panel for her last two-year term, becoming the first woman to lead the Appropriations Committee.

In a statement, Lowey's family said she had battled metastatic breast cancer in recent years with "the same tenacity and strength" that she fought in Congress. She was surrounded by family members at home when she died. She was married for 64 years to attorney Stephen Lowey, and the couple had three children and eight grandchildren.

"We will miss her more than words can say and take great comfort in knowing that she lived a full and purposeful life," the family statement read. “A public servant in the truest sense, she was guided by the Jewish core value of ‘Tikkun Olam,’ repairing the world. She was an indefatigable fighter and worked across the aisle to deliver results for her constituents and all Americans."

Accolades from all over for Nita Lowey

Tributes poured in on Sunday from Lowey's former House colleagues and other political figures who had interacted with Lowey during her long career.

"She was the definition of an excellent public servant: smart, warm. Principled and fearless," said Rep. George Latimer, who now represents some of the same parts of Westchester that Lowey did. "For over 30 years, she represented our home area in Congress with grace and fortitude."

State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins called Lowey a true New Yorker at heart.

"Congresswoman Lowey was not only a fierce advocate for her state, ensuring that New York secured vital resources in times of crisis, but she also championed global initiatives that transformed the lives of millions," said Stewart-Cousins, a Yonkers Democrat.

State Sen. Shelley Mayer, also a Yonkers Democrat, counts herself among the many women Lowey mentored in politics.

"She was my model for real government service — empathetic, effective & tough at the same time," Mayer said. "Congresswoman Lowey left our nation better for her service."

Lowey was first elected to Congress in 1988, when she unseated two-term Republican Joe DioGuardi. Her district's lines changed three times during her tenure, taking in part of Westchester and all of Rockland during her final eight years. She announced her retirement in 2019, three months after her future successor, Mondaire Jones, declared a primary challenge against her. Jones on Sunday called Lowey "a pathbreaking model of public service."

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Sunday that flags had been lowered to half-staff and would remain that way on Monday in Lowey's honor. Hochul, who represented her native Buffalo area in Congress from 2011 to 2013, recalled in a statement that Lowey "helped show me the ropes" in Washington after Hochul joined New York's delegation there.

"She was a tireless fighter for the State of New York and never stopped working to deliver for the people of Westchester and Rockland,” she said.

Rep. Mike Lawler, a Rockland County Republican who represents parts of Lowey's former district, called her a champion for the Hudson Valley, saying, "Her passion for our communities will never be forgotten."

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins praised Lowey as someone who "championed integrity, honesty and the values of good government."

Diane Serratore, CEO of People to People food pantry in Rockland County, said Lowey was "truly a champion for her constituents." Lowey fought against food aid cuts and paid attention to people in her district with the most significant need, Serratore said.

Lowey led on health equity

Lowey was a champion of women’s health and pushed for equity in medical research. In a speech at the 1996 Democratic nominating convention, Lowey denounced the dearth of female research with a memorable line: "Even the lab rats were male," she said. 

Lowey was among a handful of women in Congress in 1991 to demand a hearing on law professor Anita Hill's accusations of sexual harassment against then-nominee for the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas.

She got around 400 laws passed, including one that mandated clear food labeling to protect people with allergens.

She was instrumental in bringing financial support to New York for the recovery effort after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. She also helped secure federal funding to replace the overtaxed, aging Tappan Zee Bridge.

'She always gives you her opinion'

She was a friend, Queens neighbor and early supporter of Mario Cuomo, and served as his assistant secretary of state when Cuomo was appointed secretary of state in 1982. She got to know — and left an impression on — Cuomo's son, Andrew, the future New York governor.

Andrew Cuomo later recalled how, in 1974, when he was around 18 or 19 and his dad was running for lieutenant governor for the first time, Lowey convinced him to sell his prized 1973 Trans Am — "beautiful with the bird on the hood, fire-engine red." She thought the flashy car would be a bad look for his father on the campaign trail.

"You know Nita — she always gives you her opinion," Andrew Cuomo recounted during a speech with Lowey present. "You don’t have to ask for it; you get the opinion."