Giuliani Wont Run for Senate

Former New York city mayor Rudy Giuliani is expected to announce this afternoon that he will not run for the U.S. Senate, New York's Daily News reports. The announcement should benefit Kirsten Gillibrand, who was appointed to the Senate earlier this year when Hillary Clinton was named secretary of State. Gillibrand has since become one of the most pro-gay senators.

The Daily News reports that Giuliani's announcement will all but assure that Gillibrand, a Democrat, will not be challenged by any big-time Republicans. "Her path is now cleared," one Democrat told the paper.

The 43-year-old Gillibrand is an outspoken opponent of the military's antigay "don't ask, don't tell" policy and is one of only 11 members of the Senate in favor of marriage equality. "Many people my age understand that gay men and women have the same families, relationships, and inalienable human rights as straight people do," Gillibrand told The Advocate.

Read the full Daily News story here.