My second choice was Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, who'd been endorsed by the National Organization for Women.
So who is Senator Gillibrand? Apparently, she's rather right wing when it comes to immigration and gun control issues, earning herself an A rating from the NRA. Here's a bit on that from a Bloomberg article:
Last Sept. 17, Gillibrand was one of 85 Democrats who voted to repeal Washington, D.C.’s restrictions on gun ownership. She originally sponsored a bill that would have permitted assault weapons in Washington, said Jackie Hilly, executive director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. Lawmakers revised the measure after law enforcement groups opposed it, Hilly said.
Even before her selection was official, U.S. Representative Carolyn McCarthy, whose husband was shot to death 15 years ago on a Long Island Railroad train, vowed to challenge Gillibrand in a primary election, calling her record on gun control “awful.”
At the same time, though, the new Senator has a 100% rating from the American Civil Liberties Union, completely supports a woman's right to choose, and has just changed her position on gay marriage. Previously, she supported Civil Unions (as did Senator Clinton) but now she has made it clear that she is supporting full marriage rights for the LGBT community. She will also back the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.
So, it sounds like the new Senator will be very strong on LGBT issues, which is a very good thing. I do wish the Governor had chosen someone who had those positions but wasn't also going to be the NRA's darling at the same time. I'm a lot less nervous now, though, than I was when I first read that Gillibrand was considered a centrist Democrat who'd won election in a Republican district.
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