Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois as Hillary Diane Rodham) is the junior United States Senator from New York, serving her freshman term since January 3, 2001. She was First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001, as the wife of President Bill Clinton.

The 2000 Senate race

When long-time New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan announced his retirement, prominent Democratic politicians and advisors, including Charlie Rangel, urged Clinton to run for the New York Senate seat in the U.S. Senate, 2000, elections. When Clinton chose to run, she became the first First Lady of the United States to be a candidate for elected office. She was initially expected to face New York City's Mayor Rudy Giuliani, but Giuliani withdrew after being diagnosed with prostate cancer and after developments in his personal life attracted negative publicity. Instead, Clinton faced a lesser-known candidate, Rick Lazio, who was a Congressman representing Suffolk County on Long Island. The contest drew considerable national attention and both candidates were well-funded. By the end of the race, Democrat Clinton and Republicans Lazio and Giuliani had spent a combined $78 million http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/11/07/senate.ny/.

Related Topics:
Daniel Patrick Moynihan - Charlie Rangel - U.S. Senate, 2000, elections - First Lady of the United States - New York City - Rudy Giuliani - Prostate cancer - Rick Lazio - Congressman - Suffolk County - Long Island

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While Clinton had a solid base of support in New York City, candidates and observers expected the race to be decided in upstate New York where 45 percent of New Yorker voters live. During the campaign, Clinton vowed to improve the economic picture in upstate New York, promising that her plan would deliver 200,000 New York jobs over six years. Her plan included specific tax credits with the purpose of rewarding job creation and encouraging business investment, especially in the high-tech sector. She called for targeted personal tax cuts for college tuition and long-term care http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/11/07/senate.ny/. Clinton began her campaign by visiting every county in the state, in a "listening tour" of small-group settings. During the race, she spent considerable time in traditionally Republican upstate regions.

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Clinton faced charges of carpetbagging since she had never resided in the State of New York nor participated in state politics prior to her Senate race. After her decision to run for the Senate, the Clintons purchased a home in Chappaqua, New York, north of New York City. Opponents made the carpetbagging issue a focal point throughout the race and during debates. In the end, according to exit polls conducted in the race, more than two-thirds of the voters dismissed the "carpetbagging" issue as unimportant.

Related Topics:
Carpetbagging - Chappaqua, New York - New York City

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Clinton won the election on November 7 with 55% of the vote to Lazio's 43% http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2000/2000senate.htm#NY. This 12% margin is larger than the 10% margin by which fellow New York senator Charles Schumer defeated incumbent Republican Al D'Amato in the hotly contested 1998 race, smaller than Gore's 25% margin over Bush in the state Presidential contest, and considerably smaller than the 47% margin by which Senator Schumer won reelection in 2004 against Republican challenger Howard Mills http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/1998/states/NY/S/index.html http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/vote2004/ny.htm.

Related Topics:
November 7 - Charles Schumer - Al D'Amato - 1998 - Howard Mills

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