Meet the NY Dems Who Want Clinton's Seat

Cuomo brings fundraising advantage, but should Paterson pick a woman?
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 2, 2008 12:08 PM CST
Meet the NY Dems Who Want Clinton's Seat
Sen. Hillary Clinton speaks after President-elect Barack Obama introduced her as his choice for secretary of state during a press conference at the Hilton Hotel December 1, 2008 in Chicago, Ill.   (Getty Images)

Hillary Clinton’s secretary of state nomination has left New York Democrats jockeying for her New York senate seat—and gives Gov. David Paterson a little personal political leverage. Though he hasn’t indicated whom he will appoint, the Washington Post lists some key factors and candidates:

  • There is pressure to replace Clinton with a woman. Strong candidates include Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a Clinton-esque centrist, and Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, a more conservative “blue dog” from Albany.

  • Picking a Latino candidate would shore up support for Paterson’s own re-election. Rep. Nydia Velazquez and Adolfo Carrion, the Bronx borough president, are contenders.
  • Selecting someone from upstate New York would give Paterson a re-election boost, too; likely candidates include Gillibrand, Rep. Brian Higgins and Buffalo mayor Byron Brown.
  • The appointee will probably have to run for re-election in 2010 and again in 2012, so must be a strong fundraiser. That suggests Attorney General Andrew Cuomo; if Paterson chose him he’d have the added bonus of removing a potential gubernatorial rival.
(More Hillary Clinton stories.)

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