WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- New York Gov . David Paterson on Friday appointed relatively unknown U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate . Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand thanks Gov . David Paterson , right , after her appointment to the Senate on Friday . `` I believe I have found the best candidate to become the next U.S. senator from New York , '' Paterson said at a noontime news conference in Albany , New York . Gillibrand succeeds Clinton , who was sworn in Wednesday as secretary of state . `` I aspire to follow in her footsteps , knowing her shoes I can only hope to fill , '' Gillibrand said of Clinton . After weeks of speculation that the Senate seat would be filled by Caroline Kennedy , the office will instead go to a member of a lower-profile political family . Watch who the contenders were » . Gillibrand comes from a well-connected clan : Her grandmother was a well-known political activist in Albany with whom Gillibrand campaigned as a girl . Her father is a lobbyist with ties to Republican former Gov . George Pataki . Her appointment to the Senate , effective Sunday , follows an apparently chaotic process that drew criticism from across the political spectrum . `` Kirsten is an intelligent and dedicated public servant and a dear friend , '' a statement from Clinton read . `` I 'm pleased that this seat , which has been my great honor to hold , and which has in its history been held by leaders like former Sens . Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Robert F. Kennedy , will be in such capable hands . '' President Obama praised Gillibrand , too . `` Kirsten has been a strong voice for transparency and reform in government and shares the belief that government should be open , accessible and work for all our citizens , '' Obama said in an official statement . Gillibrand , who will become the first upstate senator to represent New York since the late 1960s , is a stranger to most New Yorkers and a fresh face on Capitol Hill . She has served only one term in the House of Representatives , but her tough demeanor and upset win in a reliably Republican upstate district in 2006 immediately caught the attention of Democratic activists in a state known for hardball politics . While Gillibrand , 42 , will represent one of the most progressive states in the country -- and has garnered solid union support and a 90 percent score from the American Civil Liberties Union -- the former antitrust lawyer and Clinton administration official is no dyed-in-the-wool liberal . The Albany-born Gillibrand currently represents New York 's conservative 20th Congressional District . She 's a member of the Blue Dog Coalition , a group of fiscally conservative Democrats . A supporter of gun rights , Gillibrand has been endorsed in her congressional runs by the National Rifle Association . She also supports an extension of the Bush tax cuts . The Catholic mother of two -- one of the few members of Congress to give birth while in office -- was an attorney before entering politics . She served as special counsel to then-Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Andrew Cuomo during the Clinton administration . Cuomo himself , now New York 's attorney general , has consistently topped voter preference polls on the question of who should fill Clinton 's Senate seat . Gillibrand 's upstate district -- which starts in Dutchess county , at the northern fringe of the New York City suburbs -- shoots straight up the eastern side of the Hudson River , including Columbia and Rensselaer counties . It also includes Greene County , just west of the Hudson River in the northern Catskill region , and Delaware County , which is even farther to the west . The 20th Congressional District also includes Saratoga , Washington and Warren counties in the northern part of the state . It is home to Hyde Park , the one-time home of President Franklin Roosevelt . Gillibrand 's seat was held by four-term Republican Rep. John Sweeney , and was considered safe for the GOP when she jumped into the race in 2006 . But she ended up winning a brutal contest , 53 percent to 47 percent , and was overwhelmingly re-elected in November , 62 percent to 38 percent .
NEW : This means the product will ship as received by the manufacturer, sealed, with all advertised components, and with the manufacturer warranty. `` I believe I have found the best candidate , '' governor says . `` I aspire to follow in her footsteps , '' Kirsten Gillibrand says of Clinton . Gillibrand defeated longtime Republican congressman in 2006 .