In 1992, Maloney ran for Congress in what was then the 14th district. She won by a very narrow margin. The district had previously been the 15th, represented by 15-year incumbent Bill Green, a progressive Republican. She narrowly defeated him, taking 51 percent of the vote. The district, nicknamed the "silk stocking district," had been one of the few districts in the city in which Republicans usually did well; in fact, they held the seat for all but eight of the 56 years between 1937 and Maloney's victory. However, it had been made significantly friendlier to Democrats in redistricting. The old 15th had been more or less coextensive with the Upper East Side, but the new 14th now included Long Island City, portions of the Upper West Side, and a sliver of Brooklyn. Maloney also benefited from Bill Clinton's strong showing in the district.