The New York Times reports that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s “maturation” (that’s what they call it when a politician abandons conservative policy stances) since her elevation to the Senate isn’t sitting well back in her old Congressional district:

Now that Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand represents all of New York rather than one conservative swath outside Albany, she has described her shift on hot-button issues like illegal immigration and gay marriage as a broadening of her position.

But in the 20th Congressional District, which first sent Ms. Gillibrand to Washington in 2006, many are taking it as an abandonment of the principles that persuaded them to support a Democrat in this predominantly Republican area.

It seems her district didn’t “become Democratic.” Rather the voters there took Gillibrand at her word that she wouldn’t vote like a down-the-line liberal Democrat. They accepted a Democrat who voted like a conservative, at least some of the time. And they resent that she’s now “hanging around with the wrong people.” (Harry Reid, I think they mean you.)

The voters interviewed by the Times don’t sound like they are ready to embrace the next sweet-talking Democrat who comes their way. That may spell trouble for Democrat Scott Murphy who is looking to keep the seat in a special election. He already has tax problems. Coupled with some voter anger over Gillibrand’s “betrayal,” as the Times so bluntly put it, the GOP could be in a position for a much desired pick-up — giving hope to other Republicans that the age of Obama may not be nearly as trying as the age of Bush.