Gillibrand Makes It Official - She's One Of The 15

I'm giving myself 30 lashes with a wet noodle!

I honestly thought Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) was already an official candidate for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2020.

After all, she's been acting like one. She's stormed all of the early caucus/primary states, and she's been trumpeting her candidacy on every TV show that will have her on. But it looks like I was wrong.

On Sunday, she made her candidacy "official". Here is the e-mail she sent to Democrats yesterday.

Defending and perfecting our democracy is a choice we make again and again, and today I’m announcing I’m running for president because my choice is to stand up, fight for it and speak out for our future.

By coming together to build a movement and win in 2020, we’ll get back to the truth of who we are. We’ll reject self service and return to public service. We will summon the bravery at the heart of our history to root out attacks based on fear. You’ll have leadership who hears you, because that’s always the place to start.

As I’ve prepared for this moment, I’ve traveled across the country, from Sioux City to Concord to Houston to Charleston. I’ve met people in homes, cafes and breweries. I’ve asked: What do you and your community need? And I carry your answers and stories with me.

I will fight, from day one in office, for a Green New Deal. We have to keep our air and water safe and protect the future of our planet. We will pass Medicare for All and universal paid family leave, and we will confront the NRA to finally address gun violence and make our communities safer.

None of this is possible without taking on the corporations and special interests that have exploited the common good for their own profit. So bring them on.We’re going to do this without support from corporate PACs, federal lobbyists or a super PAC. We’re going to do it together, as a movement of the people. You can count on me to see this fight through because that’s what I’ve always done. I’ve been fighting for more accountability since I got to Congress. I was the first member to post my daily meetings, financial disclosures and taxes publicly. I have the most anti-Trump voting record in the entire Senate. It wasn’t anything I set out to do, but a result of asking myself each time: Will this law or cabinet official help or hurt people? As president, I’ll ask the opposite: How can we make people’s lives better? We’re going to defeat Trump, but we also have to take on everything he represents. The division and finger-pointing. The corruption and self-dealing. The sense that Washington doesn’t care and has stopped listening. I hear you. I’m listening. And it’s why I’m running. But like any effort to turn the tides of history, we’ll only succeed if we do this together. Take a moment—before midnight—to donate any amount you can and claim your place in this movement.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you,

Kirsten