Shortlist of potential Democrats for Nadler seat include Elisha Wiesel, Chelsea Clinton, FTC's Khan

Several potential candidates have been named to run for New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler's seat, including Chelsea Clinton.

Following Nadler's announcement Monday that he will not run for reelection, several names have emerged to replace the Jewish New Yorker who has held office for 34 years, Jewish Insider reported.

Nadler, 78, represents one of the largest Jewish constituencies in the nation, and has long identified as a pro-Israel progressive. However, with Israel's war in Gaza, Nadler said he believes “without question” that Israel was committing mass murder and war crimes in Gaza, and that he would back efforts to withhold offensive weapons transfers to Israel during the rest of his term, a reversal from his previous stance.

The congressman also endorsed Zohran Mamdani, the far-left Democratic nominee for New York City mayor with hostile views on Israel.

One of the possible candidates for Nadler's seat includes Micah Lasher, a Jewish assemblyman who is the congressman's former aide. Lasher is expected to receive Nadler’s endorsement, according to people familiar with the situation, per Insider. He has strong connections with the pro-Israel community, but faced backlash from local rabbis over quickly supporting Mamdani.

Clinton's name has been privately mentioned as a potential candidate, according to Insider's sources. While she has not confirmed her interest in the race, she is actively considering a campaign after debating a run for an open City Council seat last cycle, said one person informed of her thinking.

Alex Bores, a state assemblyman, said in a statement on Tuesday, indicating he is exploring a bid for the open House seat, “I commend Congressman Nadler for his years of public service. Rep. Nadler has always led with his convictions and cared deeply about his constituents; that is the exact kind of representation that the people of the 12th Congressional District deserve.”

Former Federal Trade Commissioner Lina Khan, a progressive who now lives in Harlem, has been “shopping around for a district for months,” according to an Insider source familiar with the situation. She has praised Mamdani's campaign.

Meanwhile, two potential candidates who would likely align most closely with AIPAC and are currently weighing bids include Natalie Barth, a philanthropist who previously served as Park Avenue Synagogue president, and Elisha Wiesel, son of the Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Elie Wiesel, people familiar with their plans told Insider. 

Former New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who ran against Nadler in a primary three years ago, and John F. Kennedy's grandson, Jack Schlossberg, are also possible candidates, according to POLITICO.

Whitney Tilson, a former hedge fund executive who previously ran for New York City mayor as a moderate pro-Israel Democrat, is also considering a bid to replace Nadler, posting on X on Tuesday that residents of the district, which had narrowly favored Mamdani in the primary, “have a special responsibility to lead the” fight against President Donald Trump, “defend the rule of law” and “support our allies, especially Israel and Ukraine.”

Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Jewish campus activist who has praised Trump’s crackdown on antisemitism, also confirmed on Tuesday that he is weighing a campaign, saying he has been “encouraged to run by a group of New Yorkers from a broad ideological spectrum.”

“I am actively considering it,” Kestenbaum said. “If I can make a positive difference to my city and community, I would be foolish not to. There is a strong desire amongst New York Democrats for a return to normalcy. The party has steered too far to the left and I will help in any way I can, including running for office.”

Other prospective primary candidates include Michael Cohen, the eastern director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and Liam Elkind, who in July called on Nadler to retire to make room for a new generation of party leadership.