The endorsements keep coming for appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D), who appeared on the steps of New York City Hall on Monday with Reps. Nydia Velázquez (D) and Edolphus Towns (D) — just days after racking up the support of Rep. Gregory Meeks (D) and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

The endorsement by Velázquez, the chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, is particularly significant, as Gillibrand was slammed by some Latino political leaders in New York who complained about her stance on immigration reform immediately after her appointment to the Senate. The news was trumpeted on the front page of El Diario, the leading Spanish newspaper in New York.

“As our state faces a time of great opportunity and extraordinary challenges, Kirsten Gillibrand has proven herself as an advocate for working families,— Velázquez said in a statement.

The flurry of endorsements come amid signs that Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D) is continuing to take steps to challenge Gillibrand in the 2010 Democratic primary. According to the newspaper City Hall News on Monday, Maloney is beefing up her consultant team and is close to inking deals with uber strategist Joe Trippi and with the polling firm Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates.

After promising to challenge Gillibrand just hours after she was appointed to the Senate, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D) last week quietly put out the word that she would not run.