As we’ve previously reported, the May court-ordered redistricting map for New York has sent the state’s most prominent Democrats into an absolute tailspin, with allegations of racism flying and calls for resignations in the air as the redrawn House districts have forced incumbent Democrats – some of them longtimers – to decide which of their colleagues they want to take on in the primaries.
Such has been the case with Reps. Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney. Maloney has been in Congress since 1993, and Nadler since 1992. Maloney first represented the state’s 14th Congressional district and then the 12th, while Nadler has represented the 17th, 8th, and now the 10th.
Both are now vying for the newly-drawn 12th Congressional district, and to say things have gotten a bit testy between the two would be an understatement, with Nadler at one point calling Maloney “cowardly” over some of her past stances and Maloney playing the infamous woman card on Nadler Tuesday.
A debate was held Tuesday night between Nadler, Maloney, and frequent Maloney challenger Suraj Patel ahead of their August 23rd primary. Though the debate will likely be remembered by the New Yorkers who watched it as one where Nadler bumbled a lot and where there at times were tense moments between the two powerful Democrats, it’s what they said about President Joe Biden during the debate that has attracted the most media attention.
During a lightning round at the debate, each candidate was asked if they believed President Biden should run for office again in 2024.
While Patel gave an unequivocal “yes” answer, neither Nadler nor Maloney would give a straight answer.
“Too early to say,” Nadler responded. “Doesn’t serve the purpose of the Democratic Party to, to deal with that until after the midterms.”
Maloney point-blank stated that “I don’t believe he’s running for reelection.”
Watch the moment below:
"Should President Biden run again in 2024?"
Democrat Rep. Jerry Nadler: "Too early to say."
Democrat Rep. Carolyn Maloney: "I don't believe he's running for re-election."
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 3, 2022
Though there have been a few other Democrats who have either outright avoided Biden on the campaign trail, publicly called for Biden to step aside in 2024 or who would not say whether they’d endorse him, Nadler being the Judiciary Chair and Maloney being the Oversight Committee Chair are the two most powerful in the House who would not state at this stage in the game whether they’d support a 2024 Biden run.
It also makes you wonder, considering their positions, do they know something we don’t about the internal deliberations on whether Biden will run again? He’s made clear before that he has intentions to run, but the closer we get to 2023 and the inevitable presidential campaign announcements that will follow, the more people are wondering.
Their non-answers also came at a time when speculation about whether Biden, 79, will run is at a fever pitch, with Democrats reportedly scrambling behind the scenes to find alternatives considering Vice President Kamala Harris – who for Democrats would be the “heir apparent” in the event Biden stepped aside – has approval ratings that like Biden’s are in the tank, and who continues to embarrass herself whenever she appears in public, something else she has in common with Biden.
Harris herself fueled speculation on Biden’s 2024 intentions with a “clarification” she made in June about whether she would be on his ticket if he did.
“The president intends to run and if he does, I will be his ticket mate. We will run together,” Harris told the New York Times.
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