WPIX11 News has learned Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand is the choice of Governor David Paterson to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton.  Two Congressional sources told WPIX News that the Governor will make his announcement in Albany at noon tomorrow.  He has invited members of the state’s Democratic Congressional delegation to join him.

The sources WPIX told reporter Marvin Scott that the Governor has called members of the delegation for their views after Caroline Kennedy withdrew herself from consideration.  One of the contenders, longterm Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney canceled a scheduled appearance on “PIX News Closeup” Friday because of a “conflict,” which she did not disclose. She too will be in Albany. According to the sources, Gillibrand, now in her second congressional term, was favored by both Senator Churck Schumer and Secretary of State Clinton.  Paterson has been under pressure to select a woman.
 
With most Democratic leaders in Albany coming from the New York City area, one source said this would be an important move for the Governor to have a Senator from upstate. And it is felt Gillibrand would be an asset to Paterson in any bid for election in 2010.

Gillibrand was sworn into office in January 2007 and is currently serving her first term as U.S. Representative to New York’s Twentieth Congressional District, which stretches across the upstate counties of Saratoga, Dutchess, Columbia, Rensselaer, Washington, Warren, Delaware, Greene, Essex and Otsego.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is considered the candidate with the most experience for the Senate, was a frontrunner.  But the Congressional source told Scott, “appointing him would have presented the Governor with a problem of a successor,” one that could have led to a political battle in Albany, an appointment influenced by combative Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and vote of the entire legislature.
 
As one source noted, “in politics you never know,” but based on the information they have heard and shared with PIX News Governor Paterson intends to name Kirsten Gillibrand as New York’s next Senator at a noon news conference tomorrow in Albany.

(LINK to WPIX)