Schrödinger's seat could entice ex-congresswoman to make a comeback

Former Rep. Carolyn Maloney told NBC 4 New York on Tuesday that she'd like to return to the House, a declaration that came hours after New York's highest court ordered the state's bipartisan redistricting commission to draw a new congressional map to be used in next year's elections.

Maloney, who lost last year's Democratic primary to fellow Manhattan Rep. Jerry Nadler in a 55-24 landslide, told reporter Melissa Russo, "If they draw a district I could win in, of course I'd run." The two 30-year incumbents faced off last year after a court crafted a new safely blue seat that placed Maloney's Upper East Side base and Nadler's Upper West Side turf in the same district for the first time since World War I. For Maloney to have a shot at a comeback, a new map would almost certainly have to once again separate the two neighborhoods.

However, it's anyone's guess whether the former congresswoman will get any sort of "district I could win in," or whether the new boundaries will ensure that Maloney's forced retirement from the House is permanent. As Daily Kos’ Stephen Wolf explained earlier this week, several steps remain before a new map can be finalized, and there's no telling how things might unfold.