The Times Union's Capital Confidential column reports this morning that Congressman-elect Chris Gibson has named Mark Westcott as his regional representative for the northern part of the 10-county 20th Congressional District. Gibson, a Republican from Kinderhook, defeated Scott Murphy in the November election.

Westcott, who was Gibson's Warren County coordinator during the recent election, worked for Jerry Solomon during his long rein in the Congress, which ended in 1999.
[caption id="attachment_4194" align="alignleft" width="162" caption="Jerry Solomon"][/caption]
Earlier, Gibson announced another Solomon stalwart, Saratoga Springs native Steve Stallmer, as his chief of staff. Solomon's widow has also come out in support of the new Congressman, who she said her late husband, who died in 2001, would have seen as a kindred spirit.

Solomon, who took office in 1978, was also an ex-Marine who rose to head the powerful House Rules Committee after stepping aside in a bid for the Speaker's position during the rise of Newt Gingrich. He later gained lasting fame as the originator and sponsor of the Solomon Amendment, a controversial amendment to United States Code that precluded the receipt of federal government funds by colleges and universities unless they provided equal access to military recruiters as they did private employers.

For more on the Times Union story click here.