Maloney’s challenger has issues (optics at least)

Rep. Carolyn Maloney has a Democratic midterm primary challenger who just got caught saying apparently suggestive comments on social media about McKayla Maroney, a champion Olympic gymnast who was underage at the time in 2012. I know, Maroney, Maloney? TBH, I read his Facebook post a few times and don’t get it. Is that Indiana humor? The timing is awkward I guess because Maroney has recently spoken out about being sexually abused as a teen. Politico reported a month ago that the challenger, Suraj Patel, a 34 year-old former Obama campaign staffer (or something, here’s his LinkedIn) who lives in the East Village, had a war chest comparable to Maloney’s. Politico notes, “Patel’s campaign strategists point out the district has been redrawn since 2010 to include the younger, hipper Brooklyn neighborhoods of Greenpoint and Williamsburg.” Some case for descriptive representation. The area was actually the 14th district until 2013 when it became the 12th. It stretched a bit to includes Greenpoint and Williamsburg. 

A few notes:

• Maloney stood with Jon Stewart to protect healthcare for 9/11 first responders.
• Late Saturday night an off-duty corrections cop fired at someone he said was firing at a group of people around 28th Ave and Steinway. Guy got away though, NYDN says.
• In the same place 12 hours later, two men fired at an off-duty corrections cop, who fired back, Pix 11 says.
• Also on Sunday, a dude on a bike robbed an old lady on 46th Street in Astoria.
• Two LIC companies, an auto shop and a towing company, were allegedly complicit in a citywide towing scheme brought under an indictment by Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance.
• State Rep. Aravella Simotas is pushing for expanded sexual assault legislation.