The 2020 election is heating tf up and we’re not even done with January of 2019. I’m already pre-exhausted. That said, some exciting candidates have joined the Democratic primary so far and now we’ve got Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York to add to that list. Last week Senator Gillibrand announced she’s opening an exploratory committee to become president, which is like the first step to running. (Kind of like how putting on your sweatpants is the first step toward staying all night.)
Here’s everything you need to know about the Senator from New York who could be the first female president.
TONIGHT: @SenGillibrand stops by @colbertlateshow to announce that she is forming an exploratory committee to run for President of the United States! #LSSC pic.twitter.com/vPUpF1gs8z
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) January 15, 2019
Who Is Kirsten Gillibrand?
Kirsten Gillibrand is the junior senator from New York (Chuck Schumer is the senior) and she’s most known for her work around sexual assault in the military and her advocacy for the #MeToo movement. Senator Gillibrand joined the Senate in 2010, where she worked on bills to end sexual assault in the military and to end sexual harassment. (Sounds good to me.) She was also the first senator to call for Al Franken to resign and has strongly criticized Bill Clinton even though they’re in the same party so and least we know she’s f*cking around when it comes to speaking out against abuse.
So What Are The Pros?
Gillibrand is running a suuuuper feminist campaign, so if you’re into that kind of thing, she’s might be your girl. (And if you’re not into that kind of thing…bye?) She’s dedicated her life to helping women, particularly assault victims, and she’s repeatedly introduced legislation to provide paid family leave up to twelve weeks for both mothers and fathers. (For reference: Norway gives 93 weeks at 49% of your salary sooooo maybe try procreating with a Norwegian?) She also worked to provide ongoing healthcare coverage for 9/11 first responders and was part of repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” so yeah, her record kind of rocks.
Also — and this is significantly less important — I think it would be fun to have a president named Kirsten.
But What Are The Cons?
Gillibrand’s decision to call for Al Franken’s resignation is still pretty controversial, with some Democrats saying she was too harsh on the senator after allegations that he groped several women with photographic evidence. You decide where you stand on that one.
Gillibrand has also come under fire for her evolving position on guns, and she once had an “A” rating from the NRA. She’s since said she’s “embarrassed” by her past positions on guns and even went so far as to call out the NRA saying they are “not about hunters’ rights its about money.”
She’s also had to apologize for some of her past immigration positions, including opposing amnesty and sanctuary cities and voting against an NY bill that would have allowed undocumented immigrants to have drivers licenses. Gillibrand now supports immigration reform, and voted against a bipartisan budget deal that didn’t include protections for DACA. Sooo yeah, our girl Kirsten does appear to have changed her mind on a lot of these key issues, but it’s up to the voters to decide if she did that because she genuinely had a change of heart, or just because she wanted to be pres someday.
Where Can I Find Out More?
To find out more about Gillibrand and her campaign, check out her website. It’s never too early to start daydreaming about the next president!
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