Results tagged “democraticprimaries”

With it being all but official that Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney will be taking on Kirsten Gillibrand in the Democratic primary for Senate next year, now comes the tough part for Maloney—finding a base of voters while getting little to no support from Democratic big wigs up top. The Times accounts just what a mountain she's up against: receiving an Obama/Steve Israel-like call from Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer scaring away a potential campaign manager and now watching Gillibrand take credit for her WTC workers bill. Maloney said, “Here she takes my bill and introduces it." Maloney's nascent campaign is trying to build some momentum off of the presence of Bill Clinton at an upcoming fundraiser of hers, but it seems that she can't even get any love there. A Clinton spokesperson made it clear the former president was strictly attending to thank Hillary '08 supporters like Maloney and added, "The former president believes that Senator Gillibrand is doing a good job as senator and this type of thank-you event, and any other he may do, should not be read as an endorsement or un-endorsement."

Kirsten Gillibrand may have creeped her way under the radar as Governor Paterson's surprise choice to replace Hillary Clinton as senator in January, but her path towards winning the election to keep the seat won't be as smooth. After much speculation, it appears that Manhattan Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney will throw her hat into the ring to challenge Gillibrand in the Democratic primary next year. Maloney, along with Long Island Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, have been critical of Gillibrand's former pro-gun stances and rapid "evolution" since she was named to the Senate. Recently Maloney said, "Some people run to get elected. I spend my time doing things. I've never lost an election. I don't intend to start now." The 61-year-old former city councilwoman faces an uphill battle against Gillibrand's quickly amassed war chest and the endorsements she's been racking up, most recently from powerful pro-choice group NARAL. An early Quinnipiac poll shows Maloney with a slight lead, but most voters undecided at this early stage.