Gillibrand won a six-year term in 2012 against Wendy Long, winning 72.2 percent of the vote — a record margin for a statewide candidate. | AP Photo As Gillibrand's profile rises, GOP fundraiser ponders a challenge

ALBANY — A private equity executive from Manhattan has been talking to key Republicans about challenging Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand next year, POLITICO has learned.

Chele Chiavacci Farley, who leads the Republican State Committee’s fundraising efforts in New York City, has approached political operatives and friends to gauge their support, four people told POLITICO. Chiavacci Farley has never run for office.


She did not return a call seeking comment.

Chiavacci Farley’s exploration comes as Gillibrand, a Democrat with roots in the state’s Capital Region who was appointed to the seat in 2009 to succeed Hillary Clinton, has emerged as a national leader in conversations about sexual misconduct. Gillibrand has called on President Donald Trump to resign and prompted headlines when she said that former President Bill Clinton should have resigned amid revelations of his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Republicans in New York have said their focus in 2018 is on defeating Gov. Andrew Cuomo and holding their majority in the state Senate — the last level of statewide power they hold. As such, few candidates for other races have emerged. At a meeting two weeks ago in Manhattan, several party stalwarts expressed a desire to broaden the discussion of potential candidates. One stressed that another candidate could emerge.

Chiavacci Farley has been mulling a run for weeks at dinner parties and in dedicated meetings with veteran operatives, according to the sources. Matt Rich, a public relations adviser who has worked with Trump, said Chiavacci Farley was a friend whom he encouraged to run.

“Chele’s not a hypocrite, and the senator is,” Rich said. “She’ll still be a New Yorker living in New York, just visiting D.C. — not the other way around.”

Hank Sheinkopf, a veteran political consultant who normally works for Democrats, told POLITICO that he met with Chiavacci Farley but has not been engaged.

“Chele came to see me — who knows what the future holds,” Sheinkopf said, before referencing Gillibrand’s record on Israel. “Do I think Gillibrand should have a race? Yes, just on her stance for the Taylor Force Act and her tacit support for [Palestinian activist] Linda Sarsour. And her betrayal of the Clintons.”

Glen Caplin, a spokesman for Gillibrand, said in a statement: “Kirsten is proud of her record in the U.S. Senate fighting for New York families as hard as she fights for her own. She looks forward to the opportunity of earning the privilege to continue serving New Yorkers for another term.”

Chiavacci Farley is managing director of Mistral Capital International, which specializes in real estate and energy investments around the world, according to a February press release from the NYGOP announcing her fundraising position. She previously worked for Goldman Sachs and UBS Capital.

Gillibrand won a six-year term in 2012 against Wendy Long, taking 72.2 percent of the vote — a record margin for a statewide candidate. Gillibrand had $8.7 million in her campaign account as of Sept. 30; a November poll of likely voters by the Siena Research Institute found Gillibrand’s favorability rating at 58-26, and reelection rating at 54-32.

Even though no Republican has won statewide office in New York since George Pataki in 2002, Rich insisted that Gillibrand is vulnerable. He said Chiavacci Farley’s lack of political experience was an asset and said her background as a Stanford-trained engineer would help her to bring infrastructure money back to New York.

“She’ll be at the table when the pie is cut up,” Rich said. “She’s a good person.”