No matter the outcome after today, a prominent senior Democrat in New York is going to be out of Congress come next January. We just don’t know which one.

It would be super delicious and hilarious if BOTH Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney lost to the third Democrat in the New York 12th District primary, Suraj Patel, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.

As our readers know, the New York Congressional primary races have been a huge mess after the state lost a Congressional seat post-census. The blatant gerrymandering attempt to favor Democrats in the new Congressional districts got slapped down by the courts last April, and the resulting districts ended up pitting long-serving senior Democrats Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney against each other in a newly-redrawn 12th District. This race has been particularly brutal, especially because both Nadler and Maloney feel entitled to the seat and are deeply angry that the other person didn’t step aside for them.

However, Maloney keeps seemingly shooting herself in the foot. During a debate, she commented that she didn’t think that Joe Biden would run again for president in 2024. That led to an awkward groveling moment when she apologized for saying what everyone is thinking.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) walks back: "Mr. President, I apologize. I want you to run. I happen to think you won't be running, but when you run or if you run, I will be there 100%. You have deserved it. You are a great president and thank you for everything you've done …" pic.twitter.com/w8gUATVkf9

— The Recount (@therecount) August 4, 2022

But that debate was actually the SECOND time that Carolyn Maloney said that Biden wasn’t running in 2024. The first time, she said it to the New York Times, after first hilariously asking if her comments were “off the record.”

New York’s Maloney made the comments during an on-the-record interview, and both parties must agree something is “off the record” for it to be considered to be so. The Aug. 1 interview was not the first time Maloney has cast doubt on Mr. Biden’s intention to run for reelection and suggested he shouldn’t run. It’s sentiment that isn’t publicly uttered by many Democrats, but some have become more comfortable raising the possibility that he might decline to run again, as his approval ratings struggle.”

Here is the exchange, as published by The New York Times:

NYT’s Eleanor Randolph: Should President Biden run again?”

Maloney: Off the record, he’s not running again.”

NYT’s Jyoti Thottam: Not off the record. On the record.”

Maloney: On the record? No, he should not run again.”

Maloney, days after the Aug. 1 interview was conducted but before it was published, said during a primary debate against Rep. Jerry Nadler and attorney Suraj Patel that she didn’t believe the president would run again. Maloney is vying for New York’s 12th Congressional District seat.”

Apparently, Maloney figured she’d already opened her mouth for the New York Times, so she just repeated herself during the debate. But the comment hadn’t even been published at the time of the debate. Whoops. The timing of the NYT’s publishing of the interview makes her apologetic groveling after the debate look even stranger.

So at this point, what does Maloney have to lose? Well, maybe her dignity. But Nadler isn’t above slinging some dirt as well.

Maloney has told people privately that Nadler is “half dead” and insinuated he won’t be healthy enough to finish another term if he wins, and people associated with her campaign have suggested that Nadler secretly briefly lost consciousness at a campaign stop last week. (His campaign has said that rather than losing consciousness, he tripped on a subway grate.)”

She’s also urged voters to read a New York Post editorial that called Nadler “senile” and questioned his grip on reality. A Maloney spokesperson declined comment about her various remarks other than to argue she was just quoting the Post editorial rather than using the words herself.”

Maloney has dodged questions about her comments and her aides have refused to give almost any information about her whereabouts in the closing days of the campaign, arguing that she changes her mind too much to keep track of her. When a CNN reporter tracked her down on Monday at a campaign stop on the Upper West Side to ask her about her comments, she began running down the sidewalk to a waiting car, while one of her daughters repeatedly positioned herself with her hands and legs out in an attempt to block any further questions.”

When asked why she called Nadler “half dead,” Maloney closed the door of the car and waved goodbye. An hour earlier, finishing her only announced campaign stop of the day before the primary, she also closed the door when another reporter asked if she thinks Nadler is senile.”

Nadler allies, meanwhile, have whispered reminders about Maloney’s long history of odd remarks and demeanor, which ranges from being called kooky to not entirely sober. A Maloney spokesperson did not respond to questions about those comments.”

There is a big difference between Maloney actually calling Nadler “senile” and “half dead,” and having Nadler allies calling Maloney a drunk. Having someone else slam Maloney keeps Nadler’s hands clean, whereas Maloney is apparently running away from having to answer questions now. But, damn. This is amusingly nasty.

Could both Maloney and Nadler lose? Would that be too much to ask, to have Patel pull off a big upset on the senior citizens?

At least one major committee chair — House Judiciary or House Oversight — is going to lose tonight. Nadler told me NY losing two would be “catastrophic.”

"Any freshman, no matter how good," he said, "won't have the ability to bring back as much as a senior member."

— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) August 23, 2022

It’s probably too much to ask of the voters of the new 12th District to vote both Nadler and Maloney out. But it sure would be entertaining. By tonight or tomorrow, we should know which one of them will be packing up their office at the end of the term.

Featured image: original Victory Girls art by Darleen Click