(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Nadler Beats Maloney as Friends Become Rivals [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags']

Date: 2022-08-24

Rep. Jerry Nadler, 75, beat Rep. Carolyn Maloney, 76, after a bruising primary between former friends and allies. The two had served in neighboring New York City districts for three decades, with Nadler representing the Upper West Side and Maloney the Upper East Side. Nadler chairs the House Judiciary Committee, while Maloney chairs the House Oversight and Reform Committee. Since they were elected in 1992, they have voted the same way on most occasions, with some notable exceptions . The friendship crumbled under the weight of political competition. A chaotic redistricting process resulted in Nadler and Maloney fighting for the same seat, in a battle that quickly became toxic, with both leaders throwing insults at each other .

In the run up to the primary elections for the newly created 12th district (which absorbed a chunk of Nadler’s old congressional district into Maloney’s), Maloney outraised the field, but Nadler was able to secure important endorsements from leaders such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, and the New York Times. Suraj Patel, a 38-year-old lawyer and New York University lecturer, was third in the race, behind Maloney. The seat is likely to go the way of Nadler, given that, according to the Cook Political Report , the district is overwhelmingly Democratic leaning, with a D+34 score. He will face the Republican candidate, Michael Zumbluskas, in the November elections.

The election was not the Democratic Party at its finest. At one point, Maloney said, “I think that you should read the editorial in the NY Post today. They call him senile. They cite his performance at the debate where he couldn’t even remember who he impeached. He said he impeached Bush.” In turn, Nadler pointed to Maloney’s vote for the Iraq War, a key distinction for the two. Neither accusations came close to tackling the underlying problems facing their constituents.

How did we get there? Well, once the redistricting process occurred, his home was left in the new 12th congressional district. The new 10th district, Nadler’s district, remained and Nadler could have chosen to run there, knowing he would win. However, he decided that he had to fight for the newly constituted 12th district, where part of his base resides. He could not fathom letting go of his base and being the representative of a district that didn’t have his home. In turn, Maloney was unwilling to run in another district. At first, it seemed as if the two could duke it out without spilling any blood, with Maloney saying she didn’t want to run against her good friend, but once the decision was made to fight for the 12th, conflict became inevitable.

As House Judiciary Committee chair, Nadler led the House’s two impeachments of former President Donald Trump. Maloney made a name for herself with her strident advocacy of 9/11 first responders who sought compensation for the diseases they suffered as a result of air pollution in the wake of the attack on the World Trade Center.

As long-time colleagues, the two, as we have said, largely voted in lock-step, so there was little to separate them in terms of policy, with support for abotion rights, gun controls, and the Green New Deal gospel within the party. The biggest differences came with respect to Patel, who pointed out that the Democratic leadership did not codify Roe v Wade. Vice President Kama Harris has addressed that issue, arguing that the leadership felt that abortions rights were a settled constitutional issue that would never be overturned. Patel suggested that Nadler and Maloney needed to step aside. It is notable that the current Democratic leadership is clearly geriatric in nature and rejuvenating it has become an urgent issue. Nadler and Maloney, however, believe that their experience and seniority within Congress makes it easier for them to deliver gains for their constituents.

Maloney suggested that, because she is a woman, she would be more motivated to defend abortion rights than her male competitors. Nadler, on the other hand, said his judgment was better than hers, pointing to his votes against the Iraq War, and the Patriot Act, and his support for the Iran nuclear deal, positions which differed from Maloney’s. Maloney’s dubious positions on vaccines, such as her lobbying of the federal government to support research into the debunked notion that vaccines caused autism, did not do her any favors. While Maloney said she supports the use of vaccines and that she regrets questioning vaccine safety, that clearly hurt her in a town that views itself as pro-science.

Patel may be the winner in the long-term. Given Nadler’s age, he may not be in situ for very long. If we are honest, Nadler looked very shaky on the campaign trail. If Democrats control the House, the Judiciary Committee is his so long as he wants it, but in the likely event that Democrats lose the House, he may retire as early as 2024. That fight will be ugly, with the winner knowing that they have a chance to lock-up the seat for decades. Patel has made a good showing, but he will have to be wary of the many other candidates who will be looking at the calendar and eager at a shot to take this very safe seat.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/8/24/2118497/-Nadler-Beats-Maloney-as-Friends-Become-Rivals

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/