The Democratic Party swept into power this past November with over thirty brand new freshmen, one of the biggest swings in quite sometime. Some races were predicted long before election day and others seemed to magically appear in very 'red' districts. One of these districts was in upstate New York, where the incumbent was tossed out in favor of Kirsten Gillibrand. New York's 20th Congressional district has over 80,000 more Republicans than Democrats, making the win improbable and ultimately at the top of the list for Republicans to take back in 2008.
In order to hold on to her seat she will have to campaign mercilessly from now till election day and prove to her constituency that she is worth their votes. Giving the New York Times free range to cover her for a few months and follow her around certainly has the opportunity to show NY-20 that re-electing her is a no-brainer.
From the NY Times:
As she takes on this new role in Congress, Ms. Gillibrand has agreed to let The New York Times follow her during her first few months on the job, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the life of one of the new Democratic freshmen and the challenges that she and her party face in locking in the victory of 2006.
Moving to bridge the partisan divide in her district, the congresswoman shuns party labels — she calls them “irrelevant” — and has embarked on a series of campaign-style events she has called “Congress at Your Corner.” The challenge is simple: to convince a heavily Republican constituency that she can represent their interests. “What I hope to do over the next two years is to have the people in my district get to know me,” she said.
Bridging the partisan divide is exactly what the Congresswoman needs to do. She must follow through on her campaign promises and deliver for her district, all the while learning the ropes on the Hill and establishing herself in Washington. As the Republicans look for every advantage to knock her off next year, the Democratic Party and especially Nancy Pelosi will be allowing her to shine in order to keep the brand new majority.
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