Kirsten Gillibrand. Photo: Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images
2020 Democratic candidate Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told the New York Times in an interview Wednesday that she is withdrawing from the presidential race.
The big picture: Gillibrand attempted to brand herself as the women's candidate — focusing her campaign on reproductive rights, child care and her #MeToo advocacy. But with a relatively high number of women running, she struggled to stand out, leading to poor showing in the polls and a failure to qualify for next month's debates.
- Gillibrand also joined the race with some baggage. Some Democrats remain upset with her for ousting former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) for sexual misconduct without a hearing.
- She previously had an "A"rating from the National Rifle Association and opposed amnesty for undocumented immigrants.
What she's saying:
“I think that women have a unique ability to bring people together and heal this country. I think a woman nominee would be inspiring and exciting. I will support whoever the nominee is, and I will do whatever it takes to beat Trump."
What's next: Gillibrand is not up for re-election in the Senate until 2024.
Go deeper: 2020 presidential election: Track which candidates are running