ALBANY, N.Y. – Sen. Charles Schumer (search), who has already raised more than $20 million for his re-election bid this year, won the endorsement Monday of the more than 2 million-member state AFL-CIO (search).
Democrat Schumer has yet to formally announce his candidacy, but has made it clear he will seek a second, six-year term.
"We intend to put a full-scale campaign in place for the re-election of the senator," state AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes said at an Albany news conference with Schumer at his side.
In 1998, when Schumer ousted three-term Republican incumbent Alfonse D'Amato (search), the state AFL-CIOin challenging the state's senior senator.
The GOP list of potential candidates includes state GOP Chairman Alexander Treadwell, state Sen. Nancy Larraine Hoffmann of the Syracuse area and Republican fund-raiser Gail Hilson of Manhattan.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox