Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY-Upper East Side), the primary author of the recently enacted Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009, is a high ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee and a member of the Progressive Caucus. She has a safe seat and a lot of seniority, but she’s seriously considering taking on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in the primary next year.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney is moving forward with her prospective Senate candidacy, signing Cindy Darrison as a fundraiser and Josh Isay of Knickerbocker SKD to do communications for her. She is planning to make an indication of her candidacy by the end of the month, though the formal creation of a Senate exploratory committee may wait until as late as the fall, according to several in Maloney’s camp. She will not start any major effort to fundraise before the end of this quarter on June 30.
CQ Politics also has an article on developments in New York.
Gillibrand was appointed earlier this year by Gov. David A. Paterson when Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton became secretary of State, with the special election in 2010 to determine who will serve out the remainder of Clinton’s term. Since then, Gillibrand has struggled to consolidate support among Democrats, particularly those from downstate, and her centrist voting record during two terms in the House could provide fodder for a divisive contest.
That is something national Democrats have tried to avoid, with New York’s senior senator, Charles E. Schumer , Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Robert Menendez and the White House all taking pains to clear Gillibrand’s path to the nomination.
Their main target on that front was Rep. Steve Israel who indicated to colleagues this spring that he was preparing a run, only to abruptly shift course in May at the behest of President Obama.
Up to this point, Democrats have not felt the need to stage the same sort of intervention with Maloney or with Rep. Carolyn McCarthy , an anti-gun activist who represents the 4th District, on Long Island.
Israel, said one Democratic operative who asked not to be identified, “could have been a real problem, a real threat,” thanks to his popularity downstate as well as his fundraising abilities.
“Neither of the Carolyns pose a real threat,” the operative said.
I think it’s hubris to dismiss Maloney’s chances. She represents one of the wealthiest districts in the country and can use her connections with the financial services industry to raise even more money. She’s a down the line progressive on most issues and can probably count on massive netroots support. Gillibrand’s is a legendary fundraiser but that may turn out to be a wash in this case. Her real advantage is that she has the support of the president, the governor, the DSCC, and Sen. Chuck Schumer. This race, along with the potential Sestak-Specter showdown in Pennsylvania, could become real power struggles between the establishment and the grassroots of the party.
