Recognizing Long Odds, Maloney Drops Her Senate Bid, New York Times

Ever since Representative Carolyn B. Maloney declared that she would run in the Democratic primary for United States Senatenext year, party leaders have tried hard to drive her out of the race, making it difficult for her to hire campaign staff and helping her rival raise money.

Through it all, Ms. Maloney, who represents parts of Manhattan and Queens, remained defiant, insistent about the need to give Democratic voters a choice and pledging to run an aggressive campaign.

In the end, however, she bowed out.

After several days in which she seemed prepared to formally announce the start of her campaign, Ms. Maloney on Friday instead said she was abandoning the effort as she confronted a reality that often gives pause to even the most ambitious politician: the prospect of losing a secure job for a long-shot gamble.

“It was not so much the objections of the party establishment that affected her decision,” said a close associate who asked not to be identified because he did not want to be seen as betraying Ms. Maloney’s confidence. “It was the possibility that she might have to give up the job she loved.”

Ms. Maloney, for her part, framed her decision in the context of having too much work to do in Congress to take on the demands of a statewide campaign.

“Running for the Senate is a full-time job,” Ms. Maloney said in a statement. “Giving up for a critical period of time the things I do best — passing legislation, working on the issues, serving New Yorkers — would put politics before policy. The right decision for me and the people I represent is to stay in the House of Representatives.”

Ms. Maloney’s decision accomplishes what the Democratic political establishment had long wanted: a virtually clear path to the Democratic nomination for Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, who will now be able to cruise into a potentially difficult general election with a vulnerable governor at the top of the ticket without the scars of a bruising primary battle.

Ms. Gillibrand issued a statement within minutes of Ms. Maloney’s announcement. “Carolyn Maloney is a dedicated public servant and a passionate, effective advocate for the issues she fights for,” Ms. Gillibrand said.

Ms. Maloney’s decision — something aides say she agonized over for weeks, even as she assembled a campaign staff — brought an end to political maneuverings among the Democratic Party establishment from Albany to Washington and even involved the White House.

It is also a victory for Senator Charles E. Schumer, who has invested heavily in raising Ms. Gillibrand’s profile and improving her credentials.

“We all appreciate how difficult a decision this was for Congresswoman Maloney,” Mr. Schumer said in a statement. “She is on a very fast and sharp trajectory in the House.”

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