Carolyn Maloney (Getty)

New York Democratic Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney raised $427,000 for her House campaign treasury in the first three months of 2009 and ended March with $1.1 million in the bank.

That is more money than she needs to defend her safely Democratic seat in the 14th District, located on Manhattan’s East Side and in part of Queens. But it would come in mighty hand were Maloney to launch a special election primary challenge in 2010 to appointed Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand — a possibility that the nine-term congresswoman hasn’t ruled in, but also hasn’t ruled out.  

Maloney had publicly stated her interest in the Senate seat that Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton vacated after she became secretary of State in the Obama administration. But Democratic Gov. David A. Paterson gave that appointment to Gillibrand, who had just won election to a second House term. Maloney has kept a relatively low profile since, but her first-quarter fundraising suggests she still is considering a Senate primary as an option.