Chuck, Jerry endorse tale

How Nadler got top nod

Sen. Chuck Schumer’s endorsement of Rep. Jerry Nadler over fellow Rep. Carolyn Maloney in Manhattan’s newly drawn 12th Congressional District is reciprocation for Nadler sticking his neck out and backing Schumer in his first Senate run more than two decades ago, The Post has learned.

“It literally goes back to 1998,” a source in the Schumer camp said of the bromance Tuesday.

Schumer, now the Senate’s majority leader, faced a tough three-way fight in that year’s Democratic primary against former Rep. Geraldine Ferraro and liberal Mark Green.

Ferraro, the first woman nominated for vice president, was considered the favorite and Green — then the city’s public advocate — was a Manhattan liberal more in the mold of Nadler than Schumer.

But Nadler (inset, above left) — who, like Maloney, served alongside Schumer (inset, above right) in the House at the time — backed him over Ferraro and Green at a time when Schumer trailed in the polls.

Schumer went on to win the primary and defeat Republican incumbent Alfonse D’Amato in the general.

“Schumer was not supposed to win this race,” recalled former city Comptroller Scott Stringer, a Nadler confidante. “It was a stunning upset. Jerry was there for Chuck.

“Nadler doubled down on Schumer during his most difficult moment,” Stringer added. “The relationship goes back 30 years. There’s genuine affection but also deep mutual respect.”

‘A critical partner’

Schumer announced Monday he was endorsing Nadler, whom he called “my friend,” over Maloney and progressive challenger Suraj Patel.

“Having worked alongside Jerry for years, I’ve watched as time after time, Jerry — a critical partner of mine in the House — was right on the issues years before so many others,” Schumer said in a statement. “As Judiciary [Committee] Chair, Jerry has waged the fight to protect our democracy from Trump’s abuses, worked to defend voting rights and restore abortion access, and led the efforts to get guns off of New York streets.”

The Schumer source insisted there was no animus between the majority leader and Maloney.

But Maloney slammed Schumer’s endorsement of Nadler as an example of the “old boys network” during a Spectrum interview Monday.

“He doesn’t live here. It doesn’t surprise me. The old boys network is very, very close and they support each other,” she said, adding: “And we know that women are very underrepresented in Congress, we’re 51% of the population but 24% of electeds across the country.”