By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF
New York Gov. David Paterson has chosen Democratic Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand to fill the vacancy left by the appointment of former Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of State, Democratic sources said. A formal announcement is expected around noon.
Gillibrand's selection caps more than two months of jockeying for the seat by more than a dozen contenders -- including several House members -- and comes less than a day after Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, withdrew from contention for "personal" reasons.
The 42-year old Gillibrand, an attorney by profession, will become the youngest member of the Senate.
With Paterson, who succeeded to the governorship last year following the resignation of former Gov. Eliot Spitzer in the wake of a sex scandal, facing re-election in 2010, Gillibrand's selection reflects the governor's desire to balance the statewide Democratic ticket with a woman and a person from New York's upstate region.
Gillibrand's resume includes a stint working for Cuomo while the latter was HUD secretary in the administration of former President Bill Clinton.
Read Gillibrand's Almanac of American Politics profile here.
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