Politics on the Hudson

Westchester has a friend in the office of soon-to-be U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillbrand, communications director Rachel McEneny.

McEneny lived in Yonkers for seven years and is the daughter-in-law of former mayor, John Spencer. She left Yonkers in 2006 to work as communications director for Albany County District Attorney David Soares, where her husband John Spencer Jr. continues to work. She then moved over to work in a similar capacity for Gillibrand, who in 2006 ousted four-term Republican Congressman John Sweeney to represent upstate’s 20th District.

McEneny’s experience with politics didn’t begin by marrying into a political family, though. Her father is state Assemblyman Jack McEneny, whose district covers most of Albany city and county. Unlike the former Yonkers mayor and John Jr., who are Republicans, the McEneny familly is Democratic. McEneny worked for 2 1/2 years in Yonkers Community Development Office.

Life has gotten busy since McEneny and her boss waited up for a 2 a.m. phone call last week that informed them that Gillibrand had been chosen by Gov. David Paterson to replace Hillary Clinton. Speaking by phone this afternoon, McEneny, said she has two BlackBerries filled with messages, a sign of what happens when an elected official moves from a relatively sleepy Congressional district to sudden national prominence.

Speaking of his daughter-in-law, Spencer said “I’m very proud of her. She’s done good work,” later adding, “There are some Democrats I like.”