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NotedDC — Nadler, Maloney prepare for face-off

by Elizabeth Crisp and Kelsey Carolan - 08/16/22 5:58 PM ET

Two of the most powerful House Democrats are heading into the final week of campaigning as they fight to keep their spot in Congress.

The primary between Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Carolyn Maloney is shaping up to be one of the most consequential incumbent-on-incumbent battles in recent cycles.

Democrats in New York “dread the choice,” one party strategist told us, noting Nadler and Maloney’s roles as chairs of the House Judiciary and Oversight committees, respectively. Both lawmakers were first elected to Congress in 1992.

The two are pitted against each other after redistricting this year and are now squaring off in New York’s newly created 12th District. Nadler currently serves in the 10th District, where Democratic candidates are vying for his open seat.

Nadler got a leg up in the race this week when he won the endorsement of Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and The New York Times editorial board.

Maloney trashed the endorsement, saying “the old boys network is very, very close.”

“[Schumer’s] very well liked amongst the Democratic primary electorate, his polling is always through the roof,” strategist Jake Dilemani said about how his endorsement could boost Nadler.

“There’s a lot of loyalty,” the Democratic strategist said. “When Schumer ran, Nadler was one of the few elected officials early on who supported him.”

A DARK HORSE: Suraj Patel, a former Obama administration aide, is looking to oust both Nadler and Maloney from the House. He lost to Maloney by less than 4 points when he ran against her in 2020.

“The polling that people have seen has him in the hunt,” Dilemani said. “But it’s still an uphill battle to be going against two entrenched incumbents.”

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What’s next for Liz Cheney

Rep. Liz Cheney may be about to lose her day job — but that’s not keeping the Wyoming Republican from looking beyond her Tuesday primary.

Cheney, who is in her third term in Congress, is holding tight to the message that’s sparked conservative backlash against her: That former President Trump, with his baseless claims of a “stolen” election, poses an existential threat to the country’s democratic foundations and should be barred from holding future office.

Some recent polls have Cheney’s challenger — Trump-backed election denier Harriet Hageman — leading by almost 30 points.

Is she gearing up for a 2024 run? Cheney hasn’t ruled that out yet. But as our colleague Mike Lillis notes, it would be an uphill battle for her to gain the votes of the Republican electorate if Trump is still the face of the party.

How will she spend the rest of her time in the House? She will continue her public battle against Trump and his allies as vice chair of the Jan. 6 select committee, what she has said is most important to her no matter if she wins or loses the primary.

A full report is expected to come out before the end of this session, marking her legacy as one of the few Republicans who went against Trump, ostracizing her from her party.

The Hill’s Mike Lillis has the full story.

Related endorsement: Alec Baldwin, who portrayed Trump on “Saturday Night Live,” compared Cheney to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, saying that she would be a “great candidate for political appointment” in the future.

Why Trump is racking up so many primary victories

All eyes have been on who former President Trump endorses in the GOP primaries, as some candidates publicly fight for his stamp of approval to get a boost.

But The Hill’s Emily Brooks reports that Trump’s endorsements might not have as big an influence despite his growing number of victories, which he touts as his grip on the party.

“Trump’s endorsements of incumbents have often come without members seeking them, a key indication that he is running up his primary endorsement success rate by putting his stamp of approval on members almost certain to win their races,” Brooks reports.

What Trump isn’t saying: Many of the candidates he endorses are incumbents or strong candidates without challengers. For example, he inflated his scorecard of a “perfect record” in the Tennessee primary, as Emily points out, since six of the eight ran unopposed.

Worth noting: “Trump has backed 134 incumbent House members, accounting for more than half the GOP conference. And 66 candidates that Trump endorsed in House races ran or are running in uncontested primaries, or in a nonpartisan primary without any other Republican candidates on the ballot.”

Will he rack up more? It’s likely that his endorsed House candidate Harriet Hageman in Wyoming will reign victorious on Tuesday along with Alaska Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka, who is slated to face Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski on the November ballot.

Read more from our colleague Julia Manchester about how Tuesday could add to his scorecard.

Biden to hit the road

In a memo to top White House aides, Biden chief of staff Ron Klain unveiled the plans for the “Building a Better America Tour” that will take place in the coming weeks.

“We will make clear that the President and Congressional Democrats beat the special interests and delivered what was best for the American people,” Klain wrote in the memo circulated among Democrats.

“Every step of the way, Congressional Republicans sided with the special interests — pushing an extreme MAGA agenda that costs families. The Building a Better America campaign will use all of the tools of the White House to bring these messages to the American people. President Biden, Vice President Harris, the Cabinet, our Hill allies, governors, mayors and allied groups will take this message directly to the American people.”

The White House advises that in the coming weeks Biden will hold a Cabinet meeting and a Sept. 6 White House celebration to mark the passage of Democrats’ $740 billion health, climate and tax bill.

In the meantime, the Biden team has unveiled a new website, BuildingBackTogether.org, to promote the initiative.

COVID CURVEBALL

The president wore a mask when signing Democrats’ sweeping health and climate bill Tuesday after first lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day.

Jill Biden tested positive on Tuesday morning while on the Biden family’s vacation in South Carolina.

Our colleague Brett Samuels reports that the first lady is doing well. President Biden just got over a case of COVID-19, leaving isolation roughly two weeks ago.