Biography
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is a proud New York Democrat. She is running a grassroots campaign to help President Barack Obama fix our economy and bring real, fundamental change to this country.
Born and raised in upstate New York, Kirsten got her start watching her grandmother, Polly Noonan, organize Albany women to make a difference. Those early experiences taught Kirsten the values that guide her public service to this day: hard work, idealism, honesty and bold action.
Today, Kirsten and her husband, Jonathan, are passing those values on to their two young sons, Theo and Henry. Her family is a major inspiration behind her public service career. She does not want any mother to have to worry that there will not be enough food on the table or health care for their sick child.
Kirsten was appointed to the U.S. Senate in January 2009 to fill Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's seat. Even though the challenges are steep, she hit the ground running. She has already contributed to the expansion of health insurance to more Americans, helped millions of uninsured children get access to affordable health care, stood with President Obama to move forward on an aggressive economic recovery plan, helped create jobs in New York and made sure New Yorkers get their fair share.
As senator, she has traveled across New York State meeting with families and listening to the stories of her new constituents. From Brookhaven to the Bronx to Buffalo, the message is clear: New Yorkers want their leaders to find solutions to today's most pressing problems.
That is why Kirsten has committed herself to investing in job creation, starting with a true commitment to renewable energy and a nationwide effort to rebuild our infrastructure. She also believes that reforming our health care system and investing in education are critical to the long-term health of the economy.
Kirsten ran and won her first Congressional campaign in 2006 in order to tackle these pressing issues. She built the biggest grassroots campaign in the district's history and pulled off a stunning upset, unseating an entrenched Republican incumbent.
As congresswoman, Kirsten pledged to be honest, open and upfront with the public and always stay accessible and accountable. That's why she became the very first member of Congress to make her official daily schedule and the participants of every one of her meetings publicly available. She also launched a successful "Congress at Your Corner" series to meet her constituents at hotspots like grocery stores and coffee shops, a practice she has continued as senator.
Before being elected to Congress, Kirsten served in the Clinton administration as special counsel to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Andrew Cuomo. She graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College and received her law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law. She served as a law clerk on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. As an attorney for 15 years, Kirsten worked on a wide range of legal and policy-related issues, often providing free legal representation to people who could not otherwise afford it.
Kirsten is honored to be a candidate in November 2010. Because of her strong New York values and her proven record of accomplishment, she has been endorsed by a wide range of elected officials and civic organizations, including EMILY's List, NARAL, NYSUT, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and twenty New York Democrats in Congress.
Kirsten remains committed to bringing her grassroots campaign to every New Yorker and working tirelessly on behalf of the Empire State.
