Wendy Long, a former clerk to Justice Thomas and a frequent contributor to Bench Memos some years ago, has won the Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat in New York. She’ll face incumbent Democratic senator Kirsten Gillibrand. (Gillibrand was appointed to fill Hillary Clinton’s seat in January 2009, then won election to the remainder of Clinton’s term in November 2010.) Wendy would be a tremendous addition to the Senate, especially on judges and legal policy.