By Emily Cadei, CQ Staff

Democratic Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez has withdrawn her name from the list of possible candidates to succeed Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Senate, should the second-term incumbent be confirmed, as expected, to be secretary of State in Barack Obama ’s administration.

Velázquez, who was easily elected in November to a ninth term in New York City’s minority-majority 12th District, said in a statement Friday, “Our state is fortunate to have many capable, experienced individuals who would serve our state well as [Clinton’s] replacement.”

She continued, “While I have been proud and humbled to be considered, I have decided to stay as a senior member of the House of Representatives, chair of the Small Business Committee, and chair of the Hispanic Caucus.”

Velázquez had been touted for the seat by state Hispanic leaders, who complain that Hispanics, despite their growing population, are underrepresented in the New York’s top government slots. Hispanics make up about half the residents in Velázquez’s district, which takes in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn and Queens; non-Hispanic whites are less than a quarter of the population.

Velázquez’s appointment would also have satisfied women’s rights groups, who have been urging the replacement of Clinton, the wife of former President Bill Clinton, with another woman senator.

Yet Democratic Gov. David A. Paterson — who would name an interim replacement to hold the seat until a special election in November 2010, should Clinton’s Senate departure become official — still has a long roster of prospective candidates of a variety of demographic and political backgrounds, even with Velázquez pulling herself out.

The expression of interest in the appointment shown by Caroline Kennedy, the Manhattan lawyer and philanthropist who is the daughter of late President John F. Kennedy, has drawn the spotlight in recent days. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is another big name who has been frequently mentioned as a top-tier contender. Others who remain in the mix include Democratic U.S. House members Joseph Crowley , Carolyn B. Maloney and Jerrold Nadler , all of whom are New York City-based; Rep. Steve Israel of Long Island; and upstate Reps. Kirsten Gillibrand and Brian Higgins . Local officials deemed to be under consideration include Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion Jr., Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi.

Paterson is taking his time with the appointment, saying he will not announce his choice for Clinton’s interim successor until she is confirmed in January as secretary of State.

He will also face pressure to keep the process as transparent as possible, given the controversy over the arrest of Illinois Democratic Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich this week. Among the accusations leveled against Blagojevich is that he tried to trade his appointment to fill the Senate seat vacated in Illinois by President-elect Obama in exchange for money or political favors.