Kirsten Gillibrand | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| United States Senator from New York | |
| Assumed office January 26, 2009 Serving with Chuck Schumer | |
| Preceded by | Hillary Clinton |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 20th district | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 26, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | John E. Sweeney |
| Succeeded by | Scott Murphy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik December 9, 1966 Albany, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Jonathan Gillibrand (m. 2001) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Albany, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Dartmouth College (BA) University of California, Los Angeles (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Senate website |
Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (née Rutnik;[1] /ˈkɪərstən ˈdʒɪlɪbrænd/ KEER-stən JIL-ib-rand; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from New York since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2009.
Born and raised in upstate New York, Gillibrand graduated from Dartmouth College and from the UCLA School of Law. After holding positions in government and private practice and working on Hillary Clinton's 2000 U.S. Senate campaign, Gillibrand was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2006. She represented New York's 20th congressional district and was reelected in 2008. During her House tenure, Gillibrand was a Blue Dog Democrat noted for voting against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.
After Clinton was appointed U.S. Secretary of State in 2009, Governor David Paterson selected Gillibrand to fill the Senate seat Clinton had vacated, making her New York's second female senator. Gillibrand won a special election in 2010 to keep the seat, and was reelected to full terms in 2012, 2018, and 2024. During her Senate tenure, Gillibrand's policy platform has shifted to the left. She has been outspoken on sexual assault in the military and sexual harassment, having criticized President Bill Clinton, Senator Al Franken, and Governor Andrew Cuomo (all fellow Democrats) for alleged sexual misconduct. She supports paid family leave, a federal jobs guarantee, and the abolition and replacement of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Gillibrand ran for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2020, officially announcing her candidacy on March 17, 2019. After failing to qualify for the third debate, she withdrew from the race on August 28, 2019.
- ^ "Kirsten Gillibrand Fast Facts". CNN.com. Atlanta, GA. April 13, 2019. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2019.