Rangel Says He Backs Paterson’s Pick of Gillibrand

By Michael Forsythe

Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Representative Charlie Rangel, the dean of the New York congressional delegation, gave his formal support for Governor David Paterson's appointment of Kirsten Gillibrand.

"I will be supporting her," Rangel said in an interview. "All of the information that he's had before him has not been before me," Rangel said of Paterson.

Paterson, 54, announced the appointment of Gillibrand, a Democrat, to fill Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Senate seat in a ceremony in Albany today.

Rangel, 78, said he hoped the Gillibrand appointment "doesn't become divisive." Gillibrand, 42, a member of Congress who represents a Republican-leaning district in upstate New York, is supportive of gun-owner's rights and has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association.

Representative Carolyn McCarthy, a Democrat who represents Long Island, said in a WCBS-TV interview that she would challenge Gillibrand in a 2010 Democratic primary for the Senate seat. McCarthy, who lost her husband in 1993 in a shooting on the Long Island Railroad, cited Gillibrand's support for gun rights in announcing her candidacy.

"We have such outstanding candidates for that U.S. Senate seat," Rangel said. "It certainly is going to be competitive."

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Forsythe in Washington at mforsythe@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 23, 2009 12:27 EST