In an exclusive interview with NY1 Friday, NY Governor David Paterson said he has spoken to Caroline Kennedy about the possibility of her succeeding Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate.

Paterson said that the daughter of the late president called him on Wednesday.

“I took a call from her Wednesday night but I’m not going to talk about the conversation,” said Paterson, who will appoint Clinton’s replacement if and when Clinton is confirmed as Secretary of State. “It just adds more speculation and it’s not particularly relevant.”

Asked if Kennedy expressed interest in the seat, Paterson said, “We talked about a number of things and the seat did come up in the conversation.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told the Associated Press Friday that his cousin Caroline is in fact interested in the post. Caroline has “spent a lot of her life balancing public service with obligations to her family,” Robert Kennedy said. “Now her children are grown, and she is ready to move onto a bigger stage.”

Caroline Kennedy, an attorney and author, directs numerous foundations, including the Kennedy Library. Asked if she is on his list of prospects for the Senate seat, the governor said:

“I’m not talking about lists, individuals or anything like that. That just, in my opinion, obfuscates the process.”

Earlier on Friday, Paterson’s office would not confirm the conversation.

Kennedy’s late uncle, Robert Kennedy, held the seat in the 1960s.

Kennedy has been an intensely private person for decades, but this year she took on a higher profile role with her strong support for Barack Obama. Sending Kennedy to the Senate would keep New York’s famed seat in the spotlight.

The president-elect’s office says that Obama is not involved in the process to replace Clinton.

Paterson isn’t expected to make up his mind for another month or so, since Clinton has said that she isn’t leaving the Senate until she’s confirmed as secretary of state.

Other politicians said for be considered for the position are State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Brooklyn-Queens Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi.

(Source: NY1)