New Yorkers on Capitol Hill say it is sad, upsetting, and awful.
They can only watch as two of their longtime colleagues in Congress — Manhattan Democrats Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney, each with 30 years of experience in Washington — are locked in a political death match after the state’s congressional district lines were redrawn.
What You Need To Know
- After New York’s redistricting debacle, veteran Manhattan Democrats Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney are in a primary against each other in the newly drawn 12th congressional district. Both have served in Congress for three decades
- “It's difficult to watch ... it's really sad,” Rep. Nydia Velazquez said about the Nadler-Maloney contest
- Nadler and Maloney both chair powerful committees. Rep. Gregory Meeks says for the New York delegation, losing a chair amounts to "losing power”
- There is another contender in the NY-12 Democratic primary: attorney Suraj Patel, who is framing himself as a fresh voice
“It’s difficult to watch,” Rep. Nydia Velazquez said. “It’s really sad.”
“It’s heartbreaking, to be quite frank,” Rep. Gregory Meeks said.
After New York’s redistricting debacle, Nadler and Maloney - one from the West Side, the other from the East Side - are in a primary against each other in the newly redrawn 12th congressional district.
At least one of them will not be returning to Washington, D.C. next year.
So far, their New York colleagues in Congress are not picking sides.
“My rule is when you have multiple friends in the race, it’s best to remain on the sidelines,” Rep. Ritchie Torres said.
“Ultimately, it will be up to the voters of the 12th congressional district to make that decision as to who continues to serve,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said.
Nadler and Maloney both arrived on Capitol Hill in the early 1990s.
Over the past three decades, they both ascended through the ranks and are now chair powerful committees. Maloney leads the Oversight Committee, while Nadler is in charge of the House Judiciary Committee.
In recent weeks, they both led high-profile hearings on combating gun violence.
Meeks, who was first elected a few years after Maloney and Nadler and now chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, calls it an “awful situation.” He notes that for the delegation, losing a chairperson amounts to “losing power.”
“Here you have two great chair people for New York. By taking one away, it hurts New York. It’s bad for New York all the way around,” he said.
There is another contender in this Democratic primary: attorney Suraj Patel, who nearly bested Maloney in 2020. He is framing himself as a change candidate, arguing that after decades of Nadler and Maloney, it is time for a fresh voice.