Kirsten Gillibrand

Kirsten Gillibrand

Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik Gillibrand (/ˈkɪərstən ˈdʒɪlɨbrænd/ KEER-stən JIL-ə-brand; born December 9, 1966) is an American politician and the junior United States Senator from New York. She is a member of the Democratic Party and former member of the United States House of Representatives from New York's 20th congressional district. In December 2008, then President-elect Barack Obama nominated Hillary Rodham Clinton as Secretary of State, leaving an empty seat in the New York senate delegation. After two months and many potential names considered, Governor David Paterson appointed Gillibrand to fill the seat. Gillibrand was required to run in a special election in 2010, which she won with 63% of the vote. She was re-elected to a full six-year term in 2012 with 72% of the vote, the highest margin for any statewide candidate in New York.

Originally known in the House for moderate and center-left policy positions, since her appointment to the Senate she has been seen more as a progressive. In both cases, her views were significantly defined by the respective constituency she served at the time — a conservative congressional district versus the generally liberal state of New York. Gillibrand is perhaps best known for successfully championing both the repeal of the U.S. military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and the adoption of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.