Kirsten Gillibrand 2020 presidential campaign facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gillibrand 2020
Campaign	2020 United States presidential election (Democratic Party primaries)
Candidate	Kirsten Gillibrand junior Senator from New York (2009–) Member of the House from New York (2007–2009)
Status	Exploratory Committee Announcement: January 15, 2019 Formal launch: March 17, 2019 Suspended: August 28, 2019
Headquarters	Troy, New York
Key people	Jess Fassler (campaign manager)
Slogan	Brave Wins

Gillibrand campaigning in New Hampshire in February 2019

Kirsten Gillibrand is a Senator who represents the state of New York. She decided to run for president in the 2020 United States presidential election. Her campaign officially started on March 17, 2019, in Troy, New York. It ended on August 28, 2019, when she could not get enough support to join the main debates.

Starting a Presidential Campaign

Before officially running, Kirsten Gillibrand announced she was thinking about it. This happened in January 2019. She formed an exploratory committee to help her decide. An exploratory committee helps a person figure out if they should run for office. It lets them raise money and travel to meet people.

She shared her plans on January 15, 2019, during a TV show called The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Her campaign only accepted money from individuals. It did not take donations from special groups called political action committees.

On March 17, 2019, Gillibrand officially announced her run for president. She did this with a video posted on Twitter.

Important Issues: Gun Safety

Kirsten Gillibrand's views on gun laws changed after a sad event. This was the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. Before this, some groups that support gun rights liked her. After the shooting, her views changed. She became a strong supporter of stricter gun laws.

She even spoke out directly against a big pro-gun organization on Twitter. She said that mass shootings are a serious national problem.

The Campaign Trail

Running for president means traveling a lot and meeting many people. Candidates try to share their ideas and get voters to support them. They also try to get enough people to donate money to their campaign.

Why the Campaign Ended

To be part of the main debates, candidates need to meet certain goals. These goals often include getting a certain number of donations and support in polls. Polls are surveys that ask people who they would vote for.

Kirsten Gillibrand was not able to qualify for the third big debate. Because of this, she decided to end her campaign. She announced this on August 28, 2019.

Images for kids

• 

  Gillibrand campaigning for her Democratic House successor Scott Murphy (2009)

• 

  Gillibrand is sworn in for her second term by Vice President Biden (2011)

• 

  Gillibrand (2010)

• 

  Gillibrand speaking at a White House summit (2014)

• 

  Gillibrand speaking to the California Democratic Party State Convention in June 2019.

• 

  Gillibrand with her husband and sons on Halloween, 2009