Three Senators now needing replacing.

[Cleita]

Barack Obama - Illinois
Joe Biden - Delaware
Hillary Clinton - New York.

Does anyone from those states have any opinions on whom will replace them, and will they be Democrats?

[davidinalameda]

1. all three replacements will be Democrats

all three states have Democratic governors

[onehandle]

2. I'm not from any of those states, but they will all be replaced with Democrats.

This election worked out very well synchronicity-wise.

[leftynyc]

3. Can only speak to New York

It will probably be RFK, Jr. but I'm hoping for Nita Lowey as she stepped aside for Hillary to run in the first place (although I will miss her as my congressperson). Andrew Cuomo (our AG) is also a possibility.

[Cleita]

4. I would like to see RFK, Jr. appointed to the EPA, but

maybe Senator would be good too.

On edit: How about him for Secretary of the Interior?

[NYCGirl]

10. Here are the names I'm hearing: Higgins, Cuomo or Velazquez

That leaves local papers doing their best guessing to pinpoint just which state politician would be the most advantageous to Paterson politically. With such a heavy concentration of state leadership coming from NYC as of late, over the weekend Buffalo-area Congressman Brian Higgins was floated as the leading contender for the spot.

If Paterson is worried about eliminating a potential rival in the 2010 campaign for governor, Andrew Cuomo keeps being mentioned as a serious possibility. But sources say Cuomo is not inclined to take the spot and Paterson told the News, "I don't see Andrew as any prospective challenge to me; he's told me time and time again he doesn't want to run against me."

2008_11_velazquez.jpgNow the latest name being thrown around as the front-runner to replace Hillary is local Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez. Velazquez, a strong Clinton ally, was the first Puerto Rican woman elected to the House in 1992 and chairs the Small Business Committee. She's being called a "twofer" since Paterson would keeping the senate seat in a woman's hands as well as showing his commitment to Latino leadership--a move that couldn't be more timely with the Gang of Three still threatening to challenge the leadership of State Senator Malcolm Smith. Paterson told the News, "At some point it would be a very good opportunity to have a person of Hispanic descent as a city or statewide leader."

http://gothamist.com/2008/11/17/paterson_weighs_options_on_hills_po.php

[Thrill]

5. Hopefully its Cuomo who takes over for Hillary

Someone who can win the special election

[Nite Owl]

7. No special election

they would run in 2010 when Hillary's term would end. RFK,jr could win statewide.

[WI_DEM]

9. Hillary's term ends in 2012, but they would run in 2010 the date of the next election.

[Thrill]

11. Yes it is. They have a special in 2 yrs and then they have to run again in the next two

[Smarmie Doofus]

6. If I were to pick from the NYS House delegation: John Hall

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hall_(New_York)

Solid progressive... non-career politician... ardently antiwar..... relatively "upstate"... proven vote-getter and winner.
.

The rest of the delegation is uninspiring.( Can't speak to the non_NYC area people; there might be some bright spots up there, but here there's no one special.)


If not Hall... I'd look outside electoral politics and pick someone spectacular.

I don't have a sense of how Paterson thinks... he's new himself.

[LynneSin]

8. It'll probably be John Carney in Delaware

He's our current Lt. Governor and lost out in the primary for his run for Governor.

[demo dutch]

12. According to the 17th Amendment, it's the responsibility of the state's governor & legislature to

to fill the vacant seat.