Nadler v. Maloney: Two Prominent New York Democrat Incumbents Will Primary Each Other

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), two long-time lawmakers, colleagues, and House committee chairs, are running against each other in the primary after the court-ordered redrawing of congressional district lines combined the East and West Sides of Manhattan into a single district.

The August 23 primary in the Empire State put two of the more prominent far-left lawmakers in the House on a collision course that will likely tear apart the Democrats who pick one of their sides.

Nadler — who earned a lot of attention during the two impeachments of the previous president — told the New York Times that he recently had a “private conversation on the House floor” with Maloney, where he suggested he would win in a head-to-head battle, and suggested she run for a neighboring seat.

“She said basically the opposite, and so it was an impasse,” Nadler told the Times, “and we left it at that.”

Talking to the Times about the two lawmakers having to run against each other, Maloney said, “I’d say it’s sad… It’s sad for the city.”

Acknowledging that the lawmakers have been usually avoiding the infighting that happens in New York and have managed to “coexist more or less peacefully for three decades,” the Times added:

They built parallel political machines and accumulated important committee chairmanships. Along the way, they had become powerful stalwarts — if not political mascots — in their districts: Ms. Maloney, a pathbreaking feminist and the widow of an investment banker, represents an East Side district so wealthy it was once christened the silk- stocking district; Mr. Nadler, a proudly opinionated old-school progressive, holds down the West Side.

But their long truce came to a shattering end last week, when a state court imposed a significant revision on New York’s congressional map. The new lines have roiled Democrats across the state, but perhaps nowhere has the change been more disruptive than Manhattan.

…

The primary matchup between Mr. Nadler and Ms. Maloney may be one of the most bruising political spectacles in living memory, a crosstown clash between two respected party elders in the twilight of their careers. And it will play out in one of the most politically influential pockets of the United States — home to financiers, media titans and entertainers, and the source of millions of dollars in campaign donations each election cycle.

Despite their ability to previously “coexist,” the two have reportedly not wasted any time trying to raise money and backing from union leaders, policy allies, and the donor class — which the two have generally shared for years. While both are committee chairs, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) appears to be staying out of the divide.

In fact, Maloney has already resulted in negative attacks. The Times noted that Maloney has started to spread doubts about Nadler’s health — which his aides have claimed is good, while he touts his weight loss. On the other hand, associates of Nadler have started to talk about Maloney’s obsession with pandas while claiming Pelosi would prefer him.

But the two seem determined to remain in Congress, while calls for the two to retire and make room for new blood in the House have occurred.

Maloney said, “I’ve never been more effective,” as Nadler gave a more direct answer to the Times: “No. No. No. No. No. No.”

Maloney claimed which of the two being elected will not be about being “male or female” — ironically acknowledging there are two genders — but would be about “effectiveness.”

“The difference is not whether you are male or female, it’s your effectiveness,” she claimed. “In every job I’ve held, I’ve been the first woman ever to hold it.”

And Nadler, who will try to make himself look more aligned to the radical left than Maloney, claimed, “Voters are clearly going to vote for me because I lost weight.”

Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.