Andrew Cuomo to replace Clinton in Senate

November 22, 2:04 PMCongress ExaminerIgor Derysh

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Andrew Cuomo is set to move back to D.C.

As Hillary Clinton is all but ready to move her belongings into the State Department, New York Governor David Paterson readies to appoint her successor.

While nothing is yet official, Hillary Clinton has neither been officially offered or accepted the job of Secretary of State, it is all but certain that Senaor Clinton will become the next top foreign policy maker in the country. And while nothing is official, or close to it, on who will be Clinton's interim replacement, it is all but certain that New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo will be the temporary replacement for the Junior Senator seat from New York (with the possibility of future full time employment).

Cuomo is both a self-made man as well as the member of two big time families of United States politics (sort of). Cuomo is the son of former ultra-popular New York Governor Mario Cuomo and had been married to Kerry Kennedy, one of Robert Kennedy's daughters, until their divorce a few years ago.

Prior to successfully running for New York's Attorney General's office, Cuomo enjoyed a very successful career in politics.

After graduating from Albany Law School, Cuomo served as a top aide for his father's gubernatorial campaign and then during his father's tenure as governor. Cuomo's biggest issue was homeless and housing policy and ultimately founded HELP, Housing Enterprise for the Less Priveledged.

He then served as the Chairman of the New York City Homeless Commission before being named Secretary Housing and Urban Development by Bill Clinton.

In 2002, Cuomo intended to run for governor but made costly mistakes in the campaign which caused him to drop out of the race before losing handidly in the Democratic Primary.

Other, unlikely, candidates for the Senate seat include:

Gregory Meeks: 5-term Congressman and former New York Assemblyman.

Steve Israel: 4-term Congressman and quickly rising star in the Democratic Party
 
Nydia Velazquez: 8-term Congresswoman, Chairwoman of the House Small Business Committee, and former New York Council Woman.
 
Caroline Kennedy: longshot candidate who gained national prominence campaigning and working for Barack Obama's campaign.

Clinton's replace would have to run in the 2010 midterm elections to be officially elected (or voted out) and then once again in the 2012 elections when Clinton's term would have expired.

See also: Franken on the verge of winning recount