Cornyn meets with Pataki about Senate run

The National Republican Senatorial
Committee has approached former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) about running
against appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), according to a Pataki
spokesman.

The sit-down between NRSC chairman
John Cornyn (Texas) and Pataki is further evidence that Republicans see
Gillibrand’s hold on the seat as tenuous, at best.

{mosads}Dave Catalfamo, a Pataki spokesman
who confirmed the meeting took place, would not comment on the specifics
discussed.

A spokesman for the NRSC refused
to comment on the meeting.

“As a general rule, we don’t
comment on private conversations the senator has,” said NRSC
communications director Brian Walsh. “But as NRSC chairman of course he is
speaking with and listening to top Republicans in states with potentially
competitive seats.”

“Frankly, it would be a
surprise if he was not doing that because that’s a key part of the job and one
he takes seriously,” Walsh added.

Picked to replace Secretary of
State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Gillibrand is one of the more conservative
members of New York’s Democratic delegation. Gillibrand’s appointment set off
waves of dissatisfaction among several liberal members of Congress.

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D) is
considering a challenge to Gillibrand in the 2010 primary, and a recent
Quinnipiac University poll showed the Long Island Democrat beating Gillibrand,
whose former district circles the state capital in Albany, by a 34 percent to
24 percent margin.

Pataki, a centrist Republican who
won three terms in the governor’s mansion, would give the GOP a top-tier
candidate. He did not seek a fourth term in 2006 and instead briefly flirted
with running for president.

But Pataki may not have the primary
field to himself; Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) has made his interest in running for
Senate known, though in recent weeks his early intensity seems to have waned.
King has said he will not make a decision about his own candidacy until the
summer.