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“Until women take their rightful place in leadership and begin to help shape the debate and make decisions, we’re going to be less well served — and it’s really that simple.” - Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand of New York.
Ms. Gillibrand’s ambitions for women are not small, but she has got the stamina and vision. In the Senate, she has already managed to become one of the leading voices and plant her imprint on important legislation. With a reputation for diligence, a quick mind and a soft-edged personality, she is seen in some quarters as the new Mrs. Clinton — though perhaps the most memorable description of her so far has come from Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, who called her the Senate’s “hottie.”
She is also a formidable fund-raiser. She took in $3.07 million in the second quarter of this year, according to financial reports filed last Friday. That sum almost matched the $3.28 million she raised in the first quarter, which was more than any member of Congress.
“Kirsten is a rock star,” Jessica McIntosh, the spokeswoman for Emily’s List, told me last week. “And she shares the mission of Emily’s List — getting more Democratic women into office. Her own re-election is a very important part of that mission, and we’re thrilled she’s found so much support.”
Emily’s List has enjoyed enormous growth in 2011, Ms. McIntosh said. The boon in membership partly reflects “a lot of anger towards the G.O.P. for their anti-woman, anti-family agenda,” she said, and waxing enthusiasm for Democratic women running in special elections this year.
“Our members number almost a million now. And they’re fired up!” she said. “Kirsten picked the perfect moment to lend her talent and voice to the building momentum for electing Democratic women.”
Whether that translates into electoral support or success is not clear.
Ms. Gillibrand herself has the long view. “It’s not about right now. It’s over the next decade, and how we’re going to build and really create a strong women’s movement.”
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Source: Female Factor.
A version of this article appeared in print on July 20, 2011, in The International Herald Tribune with the headline: A Senator Looks for More Women in Office.
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