When people envision New York, they’re usually picturing the state’s Twelfth Congressional District. This is the New York of the Lincoln Center, the Empire State Building, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Chrysler Building, the Guggenheim. This is where Woody Allen canoodled with Diane Keaton as they looked over the 59th Street Bridge in Manhattan. And this is where Donald Trump, a Queens native who fought and clawed his way across the East River, descended the golden escalator in 2015 and changed American politics forever.
It’s also perhaps the wealthiest district in the country, meaning the person who represents it in Congress is effectively destined to become a major power broker on Capitol Hill. If you’ve ever wondered why Democratic leaders so often hail from New York City or coastal California, it’s the same reason Willie Sutton robbed banks: Because that’s where the money is. All this wealth makes fundraising a lot easier. Plus, that cash can be spread around. Play it right, and you can ride this district to a position of serious power. Add the name Kennedy to the mix, and you’re talking about national celebrity.
We’ll get to that Kennedy in a little bit. Because for the first time in 34 years, the congressional seat is open, with longtime representative Jerry Nadler leaving at the end of his current term. This is the moment ambitious Manhattan Democrats—of which there are many—have long awaited. They’ve spent years glad-handing party bosses, community leaders, the old ward heelers who can deliver votes. They’re hacks, in other words, who have been climbing the greasy pole of New York Democratic politics their entire careers.
