NBC's Andrea Mitchell is reporting this morning that Hillary Clinton is likely to accept the State Department post after Thanksgiving. Largely left out of the conversation about her move to Foggy Bottom is who would get her seat in the Senate. With a Democratic governor in New York, the move would not change the balance of power, but it certainly would start a new parlor game in Washington and Albany.
My first thought would have to be Rep. Nita Lowey, who abandoned her run for the Senate in 2000 once Clinton entered the fray. I spoke with her in 2006 for Congressional Quarterly and she acknowledged that she stepped aside for Clinton and was disappointed. Lowey is well known in the state, and well regarded on Capitol Hill from her time as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. But she is 71 and told me she would be less interested in the job now that she is the chairwoman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations (at the time we were hypothesizing about an open seat if Clinton won the White House).
The safer bet is Andrew Cuomo, who has been looking for an opportunity to rise in state and national politics for a while. Choosing Cuomo would help Gov. David Paterson dispose of a potential Democratic rival when Paterson runs for his first elected term in 2010.
Paterson may also look to shore up a constituency he'll need in 2010. The New York Times reports Paterson is looking for someone who is from upstate, is a woman or Latino. Rep. Nydia Velazquez would meet two of those goals, the only problem is she represents Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. Rep. Brian Higgins, who represents Buffalo, is being talked about as well.
And then there's this name being talked about...Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
-Matthew Berger
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