Mort Zuckerman For Senate? Media Mogul May Challenge Kirsten Gillibrand

Is media mogul Mort Zuckerman running for senate?

The New York Times reports that Zuckerman, the publisher of the New York Daily News and Editor-In-Chief of U.S. News & World Report, is mulling a run against Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

Gillibrand was appointed to her position last year by Governor David Paterson and is widely viewed as a weak candidate.

Two sources told the Times:

Mr. Zuckerman regards Ms. Gillibrand as vulnerable to a challenge and is convinced that, at a time of economic tumult and political unrest, his background as an outsider to government, and his record as a businessman, will appeal to the state's electorate.

If Zuckerman were to run, he would most likely have to follow Mayor Michael Bloomberg's lead and step down from his position at the Daily News, much the same as Bloomberg did with his Bloomberg LP.

And much like Bloomberg, Zuckerman, a long-time Democrat, may choose to run on the Republican ticket or as an independent.

Zuckerman, who has made billions in the real estate world, was recently in the news as a victim of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. He is also an active supporter of Jewish causes.