Posted by New York Gov. David Paterson keeps sinking in the public’s opinion, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is stuck in the vortex: She has to avoid getting sucked down by the governor’s historic low ratings without appearing ungrateful to the man who picked her to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Gillibrand, a little-known second-term congresswoman before Paterson named her in January to her powerful new job, is unique among New York Democrats because she can’t easily distance herself from Paterson, as have many Democrats in the state Legislature, Congress and even the White House.
National Democrats are eyeing the 2010 races nervously, hoping to avoid a repeat of 1994 when, under similar conditions, they lost the House and spent a dozen years in the minority. In the Senate, they have only the 60 votes needed to ward off a Republican filibuster – so a damaged Gillibrand worries the leadership.
Despite Republican vows to go after the freshman senator, no GOP candidate has emerged. Many in the party, including new state chairman Edward Cox, want to see former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani run against Gillibrand _ but he says he is considering a run for governor. A Sept. 22 Siena College poll shows Giuliani beating her 46-38 if the election were held now.
Gillibrand stopped short when asked Monday whether she would endorse Paterson if he ran in 2010.
“I support the governor, and he said he’s going to run, and we are all focused right now on this election cycle,” she said at an event at which she and fellow Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer were endorsing Bill Thompson in his bid for New York City mayor.
Schumer also wouldn’t endorse Paterson.
“As for elections, let’s stick with this one today,” he said.
