Maloney Stays Mum on Plans for New York Senate Run

By Emily Cadei | August 6, 2009 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y., may be on recess, but she's still limiting her talking points to health care -- and not her plans for a Senate run.

Maloney was back in Washington Thursday to talk up the Democrats' health care overhaul proposals in light of a new Joint Economic Committee study showing that, under the current system, women suffer disproportionately from a lack of adequate health insurance coverage -- a subject that would no doubt play well in the liberal constituencies that make up many of New York's Democratic primary voters. But she remained mum when asked when she would launch her expected primary challenge to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who was appointed in January to the Senate seat to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"Let's just focus on helping pass this important bill," Maloney said at a Capitol news conference about the JEC study. Asked if she intended to wait until the health care overhaul battle was complete before making a move, the nine-term congresswoman again begged off, saying only that the health care overhaul -- "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" -- remains her focus.

For months, Maloney has been sharpening her knives for Gillibrand, and campaign aides had indicated that she would launch her Senate bid by the end of July. But last week her campaign manager and a close political ally told CQ Politics that Maloney was consumed with legislative business in House's final week and would not be making any political moves until the recess.

However, now that the recess is here, Maloney does not appear any more inclined to make the Senate leap.

But one of her House colleagues, James P. Moran, D-Va., showed no such hesitancy Thursday, giving her a big embrace as he declared, "Carolyn sure would make a hell of a U.S. senator."

Next: New Jersey: More Older Voters Want Corzine Out
Previous: Costello Joins GOP Race in Pennsylvania 6