By The shadows of dynasties are again stirring in New York City politics. Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Bill and Hillary Clinton, is reportedly considering a bid for Congress in New York’s 12th District after Representative Jerry Nadler announced his retirement. Nadler’s departure, after more than three decades in office, has opened a rare vacancy in one of the safest Democratic seats in the country, and speculation has turned quickly to whether the Clinton name will once more appear on a ballot, according to multiple reports.
Nadler, 78, framed his exit as an act of generational renewal, echoing President Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race. But his decision has unleashed a crowded contest in a district that spans the Upper West and Upper East Sides, long bastions of Democratic power. Clinton, insiders say, would immediately command donor networks and establishment loyalty. Yet the very dynastic aura that gives her strength also provokes fierce resistance from progressives eager to topple the old guard.
For years, Clinton has swatted away talk of elected office. As recently as 2019, she brushed off speculation during a television appearance, insisting her focus remained on the Clinton Foundation. But with Nadler’s seat suddenly open, the calculus may have shifted. In a district where Democrats hold a firm grip, the only real contest is the primary, but Clinton would not be entering unopposed. Young challengers, like Rhodes scholar Liam Elkind, have already signaled their ambitions, while veteran operatives such as Micah Lasher eye the same prize.
There’s also a Kennedy. John F. Kennedy’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, recently said he was kicking the tires, as well, noted Fox News.
“Schlossberg, 32, an attorney and writer, has occasionally hinted at political ambitions. His comment to The New York Times that a congressional run is “certainly a possibility” is his clearest public signal yet that he may consider following in his family’s political footsteps.
Schlossberg has turned heads on social media for his comedic antics and satirical videos of figures like first lady Melania Trump.”
Any Clinton candidacy arrives with baggage. Critics have resurfaced photographs of Ghislaine Maxwell—now serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking—attending Clinton’s 2010 wedding and receiving an award from the Clinton Foundation. The image, circulating widely on social media, has become a symbol for detractors who argue the family’s political reach is inseparable from tainted associations. Added to this is the Clinton Foundation’s long-running controversy: accused of influence-peddling during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State, investigated under multiple administrations, and ultimately cleared of criminal wrongdoing, but still viewed warily for its $2 billion fundraising empire entwined with politics.
Ghislaine Maxwell attended Chelsea Clinton’s wedding after skipping deposition in case against Epstein https://t.co/WO2u17R9uv pic.twitter.com/coI1pwMf0N
— New York Post (@nypost) January 6, 2024
The reactions have been sharp. Supporters hail Clinton’s international profile and humanitarian work as assets in Congress. Detractors, both left and right, call her candidacy another chapter in America’s dynastic carousel, lumping her in with Bushes and Kennedys. The fight over Nadler’s seat will likely become a proxy war over the future identity of the Democratic Party.
Clinton has not announced her intentions. But her decision will test whether establishment backing can still withstand insurgent energy in Mamdani’s New York City.
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