Just a few weeks ago, the conventional wisdom was that Kirsten Gillibrand was going to sweep the Democratic primary for New York’s US Senate seat and go on to compete in the general election. She had the support of influential party leaders and had managed to get potential Democratic contenders to step aside. However, public outcry over her maneuvering and a string of polls have set back the candidate, and a new contender has entered the field quickly gaining momentum.
Just a few weeks ago, the conventional wisdom was that Kirsten Gillibrand was going to sweep the Democratic primary for New York’s US Senate seat and go on to compete in the general election. She had the support of influential party leaders and had managed to get potential Democratic contenders to step aside. However, public outcry over her maneuvering and a string of polls have set back the candidate, and a new contender has entered the field quickly gaining momentum.
Though she hasn’t formally announced her candidacy, Carolyn Maloney and her longtime progressive record are making waves both in the blogosphere and in public opinion. The Marist poll in early May showed a tightening race:
When pitted against U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, it’s an open contest. Gillibrand edges Maloney. She receives 36% of New York Democrats compared with Maloney’s 31%. However, a large proportion of the party — 33% — are unsure.
Earlier this month, an internal Maloney poll showed her gaining an edge:
The poll of 600 likely Democratic primary voters, conducted at the end of May by pollster Doug Schoen, found Maloney with a 34 percent to 32 percent lead over the appointed senator.
And today, a new Quinnipiac Poll shows Maloney still ahead:
When matched up against Rep. Carolyn Maloney in a potential 2010 primary, Gillibrand trails the Upper East Side congresswoman by four percentage points (27-23), while Jonathan Tasini gets four percent of the vote and 44 percent are undecided.
While it is still early to jump to any conclusions (Maloney hasn’t even announced yet), it is probably safe to say that New York will see a competitive Senate race, and Kirsten Gillibrand won’t be able to rest on her laurels.