Gillibrand is official, and so is her opposition

New York Gov. David Paterson (D) officially announced the selection of Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) as the state’s next senator on Friday, but both might be getting more than they bargained for.

Paterson seemed to acknowledge the unrest with Gillibrand’s pick, repeatedly calling her the “best candidate” for the job at the announcement press conference.

{mosads}“I believe that I have found the best candidate to be the next United States senator from New York,” Paterson said.

Anti-gun groups have denounced the pick and suggested they will be closely eyeing Gillibrand’s transition from a congresswoman in a gun-toting upstate district to a senator representing one of the most anti-gun cities in America, where she will need support to win the Democratic nomination in 2010.

Signs of severe unrest with the pick are already apparent, particularly in a blogging community that was happy to have her hold down a conservative House district, but thinks it can do better for a senator in a blue state.

The emergence of Long Island-based Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) provides those detractors with a potent alternative — a popular female member of Congress known for her anti-gun positions who has a deep personal connection to the issue, having lost her husband to a gun massacre in 1993.

Serious questions are being asked about whether the 65-year-old can compete financially with the young, up-and-coming Gillibrand. Despite Gillibrand’s centrism, she will have the backing of powerful state and national figures, including the two most important politicians in New York: Paterson and Sen. Charles Schumer (D).

The governor noted Friday that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who formerly held the seat Gillibrand is assuming, has offered her full support.

Gillibrand alluded Friday to the difference between her House district and the state, suggesting she is aware of her changing constituency.

“As I represented the needs and the priorities of the 20th congressional district of New York, I will represent the many diverse views and voice of the entire state as your senator,” she said, and also pledged to work with McCarthy on legislation restricting gun use.

McCarthy hasn’t had a difficult race in several cycles and has gotten by raising only about $1.3 million each of the last two cycles.

Without support from a sizable national group or a grassroots campaign, she figures to get swamped by Gillibrand’s already potent fundraising ability, combined with her big-name support.

One group that could jump in, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, signaled Friday that it will take a wait-and-see approach to Gillibrand.

President Paul Helmke called Gillibrand’s record “disappointing.”

“She seems to have been all too anxious to seek the approval of the NRA in stating her positions,” Helmke said. “But we’re hopeful that, if she’s going to be representing the entire state, that she’ll take positions a little closer to what Sen. Clinton did and what Sen. Schumer does.”

Helmke declined to say whether the Brady Campaign would support McCarthy in a primary but suggested it is a possibility.

“We’ve always been big fans of Carolyn McCarthy,” he said. “I think it’s too early to say much more. We’ll be watching Sen. Gillibrand very closely.”

While the Brady Campaign has staked out a more cautious approach, New Yorkers Against Gun Violence has been trashing Gillibrand for days.

Executive Director Jackie Hilly ticked off numerous pieces of gun legislation on which she said Gillibrand is wrong for both the state and the country. She said the group would definitely support McCarthy, who is a board member.

“I would have rallied people around McCarthy under any circumstances,” Hilly said. She noted that the gun issue cuts into the issue areas of other interest groups.

Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf said the gun issue alone should not be underestimated in its effect on the Democratic primary.

“The letters ‘NRA’ do not provide feelings of warmth for New Yorkers,” Sheinkopf said. “People are pretty savvy about it.”

Sheinkopf called Gillibrand the “NRA Posterwoman” for New York, but also noted she could be in trouble for her vote against the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), which is vital to New York City’s economic health.

At the same time, he said, it will be difficult for McCarthy to mount a serious primary challenge.

“Anybody can threaten to primary; the question is, can you show up with enough money?” he said.

Scheinkopf suggested that, if anybody else made a serious run at the primary, it would likely be an independently wealthy candidate who does not have to rely on others for money.