Suraj Patel to run against Carolyn Maloney again

INDIAN AMERICAN Suraj Patel will challenge New York Representative Carolyn Maloney again this year.

The Democratic lawyer and businessman marks his third attempt to unseat the longtime incumbent, reports said. Patel lost to Maloney by less than four points in 2020.

Patel recently said that his chances are bright this time as Democratic voters 'are hungry for a new generation of leaders.'

"I’m running for Congress because Democrats need a new generation of leaders - leaders who will stand up for science, safety, and our democracy," a statement on his campaign page says.

"I’m running for Congress because I never give up. I’ve lived in this neighbourhood for 16 years. This is my home. I’m not going anywhere. I will never stop fighting for the place I love."

His parents emigrated from India in the late 1960s to the US.

According to reports, the 12th Congressional District now includes more of Manhattan – including the Upper West Side – and less of Brooklyn and Queens, including parts of Williamsburg and Astoria.

Patel said that the new boundaries create an opening for him, especially among the supporters of liberal Representative Jerry Nadler now drawn out of his district.

A poll of 420 voters, which Patel's campaign commissioned last month in the new district, showed him leading Maloney by double digits in a head-to-head matchup.

”This is a new decade, a new district, and as we enter year three of a pandemic we’ve got new challenges, which means we need a government that proactively develops 21st-century solutions to 21st-century problems,” Patel, who previously served as a staffer for ex-President Barack Obama, was quoted as saying by a media outlet.

At least three other Democrats are running for Maloney’s seat, including former City Council contender Maud Maron. Still, more may join before petitioning begins next month.

Other challengers who filed fundraising reports in the race include community organizer Rana Abdelhamid, who is backed by the Justice Democrats and activist and artist Maya Contreras.

Maloney, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, is seeking a 16th term in Congress.