persons mentioned in the media as potential appointees included u.s. rep. gregory meeks, former state comptroller h. carl mccall, william c. thompson, jr., byron brown, rep. josé e. serrano, rep. nydia m. velázquez, u.s. rep. nita lowey, u.s. rep. carolyn b. maloney, former hillary clinton aide leecia eve, united federation of teachers president randi weingarten, rep. kirsten gillibrand, and political heiress caroline kennedy. while new york attorney general and former united states secretary of housing and urban development andrew cuomo refused to publicly declare his interest in the seat, he attracted a plurality of support from polled new yorkers to take the seat. cuomo was cited by some analysts as a savvy senate appointee because his appointment might dissuade him from mounting a primary challenge against paterson in the 2010 gubernatorial election. paterson acknowledged on january 20, 2009, that cuomo was indeed under consideration for the appointment.