None of that has proven to be an advantage for either Gillibrand or Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City.įundraising from the wealthy elite is increasingly seen as a liability in a party as candidates like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren touting their broad small-donor base (this is yet to effect candidates like former Vice President Joe Biden).Īnd, instead of the U.S. One of Gillibrand’s early challenges in office was overcoming the better-known men surrounding her on the statewide stage like Andrew Cuomo and Schumer.īut the being from New York, home to the nation’s largest media market and many of its most prominent journalists, can have its advantages when trying to build a national profile as well as raise money from some of the richest people on the planet who call the state home. New York has a lot of outsized personalities. Gillibrand, however, could not benefit from a record of highlighting the injustices surrounding the issue. The party is rapidly diversifying and it’s hard to imagine a woman not making the ticket next year.īut the societal reckoning surrounding the #MeToo movement could have, and likely should be, a centerpiece of the presidential campaign. Gillibrand herself noted women were blamed for Franken’s demise when really the only person to blame was the Minnesota Democrat himself. Some Democratic voters believe Franken was unfairly railroaded, especially compared to the more serious sexual assault allegations facing President Donald Trump. She wasn’t the only senator to do so, and as The New Yorker recently revealed, the final shove came from the state’s senior senator, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.īut the narrative, perhaps unfairly, had taken hold that Gillibrand was willing throw a friend under the bus. Al Franken after he was accused by multiple women of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching. Gillibrand was a prominent voice calling for the resignation of Sen. Voters like consistency and having a long record doesn’t help. She had opposed driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants. Secure in office, Gillibrand began embracing issues like reforming sexual assault investigation policy in the military and combating sexual harassment, while also helping fundraise for Democratic women.īut the record of Gillibrand as a “blue dog” Democrat during her term and a half in the House was still there. Harold Ford considered running against her? She proved to be a prodigious fundraiser and was able to turn aside rivals for the seat from both parties. Her stances on guns and immigration changed over the years to reflect the broader and more liberal constituency. Gillibrand suddenly had a very different constituency.Īs a senator and one of the few statewide elected officials from outside the geographic center of gravity that is New York City, Gillibrand worked to bolster ties with the state’s political powerbrokers. David Paterson selected her to replace Hillary Clinton in the U.S. In office, Gillibrand held moderate-to-conservative stances on guns and immigration, positions that shifted after Gov. In 2008, Gillibrand handily won re-election, defeating Republican Sandy Treadwell to hold a rural and exurban district for the party that had been drawn for a GOP officeholder. John Sweeney to win a battleground upstate New York House district and helped to turn the chamber blue, handing the speakership to Nancy Pelosi for the first time. At the time, she gained a measure of stardom in 2006 when she unseated Republican Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand’s record in office stretches back into the middle part of the last decade.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |