Quinn Gets the Calls, Tells Kennedy It's 'Exciting'

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn also got a phone call from Caroline Kennedy, who is letting people know she’d like to replace Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate.

“I said that was exciting,” Quinn said of her conversation with Kennedy this afternoon. Quinn went on to say, “I think she has a very good chance of being selected,” but added, “Anyone who says this race is over doesn’t understand this kind of race.”

When asked, Quinn said neither she nor Kennedy mentioned Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who was married to Kennedy’s cousin and is considered another leading candidate.

I asked Quinn if Kennedy explained why she’s departing from a life of work behind the scenes for one of the most high-profile offices in the country. Not specifically, said Quinn, but she did say it’s “certainly not an unheard of transition” and noted that she went from her work behind the scenes–as a staffer to State Senator Tom Duane–to elected office in the City Council.

Quinn said she is thrilled that now “another person of stature and quality” is seeking to replace Clinton and serve New Yorkers. She also that with such a rich pool of potential candidates, “this is not going to be a ‘least common denominator’ kind of thing.”