The NY-18 congressional district is one of the swingiest in New York state. Redrawn in 2010, it was held by a tea partier and was high on the DCCC's "red-to-blue" list in 2012. It's now rep'd by freshman Sean Patrick Maloney, who won on both the Democratic and Working Families lines... An irony that will become readily apparent after the Great Orange Squiggle
Maloney's votes over the past ten days have been more than a little alarming. First, he voted with the Republicans on their constitutional end run around the need for the President's approval for the Keystone XL pipeline.
And only days later, he showed how much he thinks of Working Families by carrying the water for the big banks... voting for a bill written by Citibank that would undo several of the protections of Dodd-Frank and allow banks to use taxpayer-backed assets in derivatives swaps.
None of this bodes well for those looking to keep this seat in the D column. In this district -particularly in an off-year election- any Democratic candidate needs progressives to hold the seat. After his recent votes, Maloney may come up short in 2014, when he'll likely be challenged by the same well-funded tea partier he defeated in 2012.
Primary, anyone?