Fourteen years after she was appointed to fill the remainder of then-Sen. Hillary Clinton’s term, Kirsten Gillibrand is preparing to run for a third full term in her fourth statewide election. Gillibrand told Capital Tonight that she doesn’t “necessarily know if I will have a primary opponent or a general opponent but either way, I’m going to run on my record and the things I’ve actually done for New Yorkers.”
Gillibrand, a former representative in the Hudson Valley, has never received less than 60% of the vote in a statewide election. However, there has been talk that the junior senator could face a primary or general election challenge from either Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or former GOP gubernatorial nominee Lee Zeldin.
Zeldin, a Long Island Republican, did not rule out a run against Gillibrand or for Suffolk County executive at a press conference held on Monday. Gillibrand says, “if he decides to run, I will run against him and I will win.”
When New Yorkers head to the polls next year, the top of the ticket will include the race for president. Gillibrand said the State of the Union featured a “strong” and “confident” performance from President Biden. The incumbent hasn’t officially announced if he will seek a second term, but he will have at least one ally as Gillibrand says she will endorse him and adds she will “help him win.”