NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCISCO — Caroline Kennedy, a daughter of America's most fabled Democratic dynasty, abruptly dropped her bid for a U.S. Senate seat early today, standing aside even though she was widely considered the front-runner to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Her move came despite speculation -- and some published reports -- that New York Gov. David A. Paterson was about to give her the job. Kennedy, 51, has never run for office but enjoyed the support of powerful allies in New York and Washington. Her uncle, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, was among her chief patrons.
Caroline Kennedy released a one-sentence statement hours after the New York Post broke the story: "I informed Gov. Paterson today that for personal reasons I am withdrawing my name from consideration for the United States Senate."
Her statement followed several hours of rumor-filled intrigue in which news organizations alternately reported that she was -- or was not -- abandoning her candidacy.
The reports changed hour by hour, from source to source, unfolding at virtually the same time that Clinton resigned her seat after being sworn in as secretary of State. The contradictions made an already prolonged selection process seem all the more chaotic.
Even without Kennedy in the running, there remains no shortage of candidates interested in replacing Clinton. The best known is state Atty. Gen. Andrew Cuomo, who was once married to Kerry Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy's cousin. Paterson, who has sole responsibility for filling the vacancy, was expected to announce his choice in the next few days.
Kennedy surprised many by expressing an interest in becoming a New York senator, a job once held by her uncle, Robert. She generally steered clear of electoral politics after living in the White House as a girl, then growing up in seclusion after the 1963 assassination of her father, President Kennedy. She was inspired to assume a more public role, she said, by the candidacy of Barack Obama, who drew timely endorsements from Kennedy and her uncle during the Democratic primaries.
After contacting Paterson and asking to be considered, Kennedy emerged as the front-runner for the appointment -- at least in the eyes of the media. She hired a team of experienced political professionals to promote her candidacy with a campaign-style blitz. Among key backers were aides to New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and some of New York's powerful labor leaders. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada also spoke favorably of Kennedy's bid.
