August 28, 2019

Kirsten Gillibrand Drops Out of Democratic Presidential Primary

The senator from New York did not qualify for the September debates.

Michael A. McCoy/ZUMA

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On Wednesday, Kirsten Gillibrand dropped out of the 2020 Democratic Primary, just a few days after the senator from New York failed to qualify for the September debates due to low polling and a small donor base.

“Today, I am ending my campaign for president,” she said in a tweet. “Now, let’s go beat Donald Trump and win back the Senate.”

 

Gillibrand’s campaign hinged on her identity as a strong proponent of women’s rights, particularly in the #MeToo era. Still, she averaged less than 1 percent in the latest poll and struggled to be not seen as “boring.” Her policy plans took on issues from Citizens United to payday lenders, but her progressive policies, and viral moments, never caught fire as they have for Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizbeth Warren.

She told the New York Times she had not picked another candidate to endorse. “I think a woman nominee would be inspiring and exciting,” she noted.

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