Nadler ousts Maloney in contentious New York House primary

Rep. Jerry Nadler is projected to beat Rep. Carolyn Maloney in the Democratic primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District, a contest that pitted two powerful committee chairs with decades of experience in the House against each other.

NBC, CBS and CNN called the race before 9:35 p.m.

Nadler is the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and currently represents the 10th District, while Maloney is the chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee and holds the 12th District. The decennial redistricting process merged the cores of their districts along the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side.

During his victory speech, Nadler thanked Maloney for her “decades of service to our city” and called progressive attorney Suraj Patel, who also ran in the primary, an “exceptionally bright, committed young leader.”

Maloney said during her concession speech that she had congratulated Nadler over the phone and said she hoped Patel’s campaign “will inspire other young people to get engaged, to volunteer and to run for office and push changes that we need.”

The congresswoman also noted her work securing the completion of the Second Avenue subway and efforts geared toward a women’s history museum, among other issues. 

Nadler had opened up a strong polling lead going into Tuesday’s primary and had key endorsements from Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and The New York Times’s editorial board — which strategists had said may prove consequential given Nadler’s and Maloney’s similar voting records and years in Congress.

In an interview with The Hill last week, Nadler’s campaign touted several votes that differentiated him from his colleague: his votes against the Patriot Act and Iraq War and his vote in favor for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Maloney had voted against the 2015 deal while voting for the Patriot Act and Iraq War. 

But Maloney has been hitting back, arguing against what she called an “old boys network” and making the case that in an era with a conservative Supreme Court and states rolling back reproductive rights, it’s more important than ever to have a woman with her experience in the House.

The tumultuous primary guaranteed that at least one of the House lawmakers would see their time in Congress come to a close.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) used the opportunity to thank Maloney for her work as a “prolific and effective legislator” who took on special interests and tackled issues like helping provide 9/11 first responders with health care benefits and homing in on credit card user protections. 

“For three decades in the House, Chairman Nadler has been a commanding force for freedom and justice: whether protecting our children from gun violence, fighting for civil rights for all or defending our Democracy. His leadership has been essential to advancing many of our key priorities,” Pelosi added.

The Cook Political Report rates the district as “solid Democrat.”

Updated Aug. 24, 11:20 a.m.