Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand responded to her potential Democratic challenger Harold E. Ford Jr. on Wednesday, with sharp words about the former Tennessee congressman’s unsuitability to represent New York.

According to The New York Times, a statement from Gillibrand suggested that while Ford “may be right for Tennessee,” his views were not aligned with those of New York voters.

Gay rights advocates have attacked Ford for his previous votes in favor of the federal marriage amendment. This week, the potential Senate candidate said that he supports full marriage equality.

A letter on Wednesday from Ford asking Gillibrand to drop her support for health care reform legislation pending in Congress prompted her to respond and assert that she puts the interests of New Yorkers first, the Times reported. The comments appeared to represent a new strategy for Gillibrand, who thus far has relied on proxies to respond to Ford.