Senator Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand is an American lawyer and politician. She has served as a junior U.S. Senator from New York under the Democrats since 2009. She was also a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2009.
Gillibrand was born in Albany, New York, on December 9, 1966. She graduated high school in 1984 from Emma Willard School in New York. She enrolled at Dartmouth College, where she studied Asian Studies. During her studies, she went to Beijing and Taiwan to further her studies. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 1988.
During college, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand interned at Senator D’Amato’s office. She received a J.D. at the University of California Law School in 1991 and passed her bar exams in the same year.
After her J.D., Gillibrand worked as an associate at a private Manhattan law firm. The following year, she clerked at the U.S. Court of Appeals in Albany. During private practice, Gillibrand was popular for defending a tobacco company.
While working in Manhattan, Gillibrand became a member of the Women’s Leadership Forum. She later served as its leader.
After working in Manhattan, Andrew Cuomo appointed her as a special counsel. She also led Hillary Clinton’s senate campaign in 2000, which she won. But, she returned to private practice afterward.
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Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Career
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand started her career in politics when she considered running for a seat at the U.S. House of Reps. She was looking to represent New York’s 20th district against a Republican incumbent. But, Hillary Clinton advised her to wait till 2006, which she heeded to.
In 2006, she entered the race against the same Republican incumbent, John Sweeney. She eventually won the election with 53% votes. She was reelected in 2008.
In 2008, former President Obama appointed Hillary Clinton as the Secretary of State. In 2009, Gov. Paterson appointed Gillibrand to her vacant position in the Senate. She won a special election against Republican Joseph DioGuardi. She was also reelected in 2012 and 2018.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Accomplishments
Gillibrand’s administration focused on creating well-paying jobs, increasing wages, and supporting businesses.
She also championed the economic development of families and youths in the state. She has also worked to ensure the convenience of child care and equal pay for work. She introduced the Family Act to create a paid leave program for workers.
She has also worked on tax reforms and reductions. She also worked to ensure transparency and accountability in the government. To promote security, she supported gun law reforms and background checks for firearms. She was also an environmental protection advocate.
Her administration is also known for effective foreign policies. She also fought for the safety of the cyber world.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Criticisms
Gillibrand has built a reputation as an advocate against sexual harassment. She has been a leading voice in passing bills and reforms on sexual harassment.
In 2017, Gillibrand was the first Senator to address allegations against Senator Franken. She called for her resignation following allegations of sexual misconduct. But, she used a different standard with Andrew Cuomo, a fellow Democrat, who is alleged for sexual harassment.
She only stated that sexual harassment is unacceptable, but did not ask for his resignation.
She also got under fire for refusing to address sexual harassment allegations against one of her top aides.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Net Worth
According to Incomepedia, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand net worth is estimated at about $1.93 million.
Final Thoughts
Senator Gillibrand has worked on both sides of the aisle in the service of her people. She has made legislative achievements in building her state’s economy, education, and healthcare. But, Gillibrand got under fire for her biased judgment on sexual harassment. Yet, none of this affected her political career.
References
- https://apnews.com/article/kirsten-gillibrand-andrew-cuomo-al-franken-resignation-a3735f0f78ed6a8949b34cbc82239023
- https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2019/03/what-a-staffers-sexual-harassment-scandal-means-for-kirsten-gillibrand/177585/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UtB7BHYQw4
- https://www.wnyc.org/story/the-brian-lehrer-show-2021-09-22/
- https://apnews.com/article/campaigns-ap-top-news-politics-election-2020-ny-state-wire-e87699149354491a9c08c392a27cbecd
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