(Newser) – New York's gay marriage bill has been a major boon for rookie governor Andrew Cuomo—to the semi-ridiculous tune of propelling his name into the 2016 presidential race, writes Chris Cillizza in the Washington Post. “It’s not just that he delivered on a major civil rights issue for the Democratic base in a huge state, it’s how he did it—winning bipartisan support and sticking with it when it seemed it might fail,” said a Democratic consultant.

Not only is Cuomo getting major public support, he even has a 59% approval rating from Republicans in New York state. “If you can govern successfully in this environment, everyone has to take you seriously,” said a political strategist. While noting it is a tad early to be speculating about 2016, Cillizza nonetheless calls Cuomo the (very) early frontrunner, thanks to his well-known name and strong fundraising abilities. Politico also has a touch of Cuomo 2016 fever.