Rep. Jerry Nadler cruised to victory in Tuesday’s contentious Democratic primary to represent New York’s 12th Congressional District, ousting longtime incumbent Rep. Carolyn Maloney after three decades in office to the dismay of her longtime supporters.
As a celebratory Nadler addressed boosters on the Upper West Side Tuesday night, the mood at the Maloney party in Chelsea turned mutinous, as her supporters booed and jeered the House Judiciary Committee chair’s televised speech, with some yelling “Traitor!”
With more than 95% of the district’s vote scanners reporting, Nadler had 55.4% of the vote compared to just 24.4% for Maloney. Attorney Suraj Patel, who was challenging Maloney for a third consecutive cycle, had 17.8%.
Nadler said both Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Suraj Patel called him tonight to concede defeat.
He praised Patel as an “exceptionally bright and committed young leader” and thanked Maloney for her “decades of service to our city,” adding that they spent much of their “adult lives working together.”
New York’s controversial redistricting process pitted the two longtime allies — Nadler, 75, of the Upper West Side, and Maloney, 76, of the Upper East Side — against one other, sparking bad feelings that marred a 30-year career in the House.
The contest got extra-ugly in the final weeks before primary day, as Maloney raged that Nadler was “lying” by taking credit for delivering funding for the Second Avenue subway.
She also hit him for remaining loyal to former city Comptroller Scott Stringer, even after he was accused of sexually harassing two women — an allegation that torpedoed Stringer’s mayoral bid last year.
Maloney then quoted a Post editorial that mocked Nadler as “this close to senile” for forgetting who he helped impeach as chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
“I think that you should read the editorial in the New York Post today,” Maloney told NY1 on Saturday, slamming Nadler for forgetting that he impeached ex-President George W. Bush “twice” — when he really meant former President Donald Trump.
“They call him ‘senile,’” said Maloney.
Nadler, meanwhile, largely remained above the fray in the campaign’s final days, and received a boost with endorsements from the New York Times and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The West Side winner refused to acknowledge his crosstown rival’s slight Tuesday night when pressed by The Post.
“I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to talk about it,” Nadler said.
He had a two-worded answer when asked by The Post whether he plans to stay for his entire term.
“Of course,” Nadler said.
Before the victorious congressman took the mic, Stringer declared soon-to-be former Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s political career DOA.
“It’s over, OK?” the former city comptroller told The Post. “I think what’s sad is that she tarnished her legacy by saying things about Jerry Nadler, saying things about me that weren’t true, with no regard for the truth.
“Jerry Nadler rose above it, and the voters overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly endorsed Jerry Nadler,” added Stringer.
Maloney, flanked by daughters Christina and Virginia, told tearful supporters that her loss was a defeat for women in the district.
She thanked past pioneering New York lawmakers Shirley Chisholm and Geraldine Ferrara who “fought sexist systems and misogyny that continues today — as we know from my own campaign.”
“In Congress, it is that when women are at the table, great decisions get made. The menu of issues expands and the agenda changes to include things that directly affect our lives our children and their families.”
“We lost one of our biggest gender justice champions in Congress,” one time 2020 primary challenger to Maloney and co-founder of the Sexual Harassment Working Group Erica Vladimer told The Post.
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