Chelsea Clinton being groomed to run for Congress

Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton, is being groomed to run for the seat held by US Representative from New York Nita Lowey.

According to sources, Chelsea could run for the seat in the city's 17th Congressional District once Lowey, a 79-year-old member of the Democratic Party and a respected career politician with nearly 30 years in office, decides to retire, the New York Post reported on Thursday night.

Lowey's district includes parts of Rockland and Westchester counties and Chappaqua, the Clinton family home base.

In August, Hillary and Bill Clinton purchased a home next door to their primary residence in Chappaqua for $1.16 million, which is intended for Chelsea, her husband, Marc Mezvinsky, and their two children, Charlotte and Aidan.

While Chelsea currently lives, and is registered to vote, in Manhattan, she could easily make Chappaqua her legal residence in order to run for Lowey's seat when it becomes vacant.

"While it is true the Clintons need some time to regroup after Hillary's crushing loss on Tuesday night, they will not give up. Chelsea would be the next extension of the Clinton brand. In the past few years, she has taken a very visible role in the Clinton Foundation and on the campaign trail. While politics isn't the life Hillary wanted for Chelsea, she chose to go on the campaign trail for her mother and has turned out to be very poised, articulate and comfortable with the visibility," a source told the New York Post.

"There has been a lot of speculation within New York Democratic circles about Lowey's retirement and Chelsea running for the seat. There is a belief that Chappaqua is a logical place for Chelsea to run, because it would be straightforward for her to raise money and build a powerful base," the source added.

A spokesperson for Lowey -- who is serving her 14th term in Congress and was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 1988 -- declined to comment.

--IANS

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