2020 hopeful Kirsten Gillibrand’s hunt for support from home-state colleagues stands in stark contrast to her Democratic rivals, who have made more progress locking down their respective delegations. | Alex Wong/Getty Images 2020 elections Gillibrand struggles to get N.Y. delegation on board for 2020 She is the only one of five senators running for president who doesn’t have a home-state congressional endorsement.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is still searching for a first presidential endorsement from colleagues in New York’s delegation, leaving her the only senator running in 2020 without any home-state congressional backing.

The New York Democrat, who is still in the exploratory phase of her presidential bid, is working behind the scenes to curry support among her colleagues. Gillibrand is having lunch with House members — some for the first time — and hosting informal drinks with the state delegation next week. She’s made phone calls to them and asked others for help in shoring up endorsements. But, so far, no one has jumped on board.


Gillibrand’s efforts to get home-state colleagues committed to her presidential campaign reflects some members’ wish to see the field develop, as well as the complex internal politics of New York’s huge Democratic delegation — and the fact that Gillibrand could face presidential competition from within the state. Gov. Andrew Cuomo hasn’t conclusively closed the door on a run and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio travels to early caucus and primary states. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg bowed out of the 2020 primary only on Tuesday.

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But Gillibrand’s hunt for support stands in stark contrast to neighboring Sen. Cory Booker, who locked down the entire New Jersey Democratic delegation within a month of his presidential launch, as did Sen. Bernie Sanders in (much smaller) Vermont. Sen. Elizabeth Warren was introduced by Rep. Joe Kennedy, a Massachusetts colleague, at her official launch event last month, while Sen. Amy Klobuchar shouted out to freshman Reps. Angie Craig and Dean Phillips as she announced her campaign in a driving snowstorm in Minnesota.

And while Sen. Kamala Harris has not yet received the support of most of her California colleagues, she has locked down endoresements from five House members there.

Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.) noted that “the governor could still be in play” for a 2020 presidential bid from New York, but that he’s open to supporting Gillibrand.

“It’s too early to make any kind of decisive commitment without knowing the full lay of the land,” Higgins said. “It’s early and there’s seemingly new candidates coming in every single day.”

“It’s early. I’m taking my time,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.). “I don’t know all the candidates yet. I’m going to wait to see who all of the candidates are.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer, the minority leader and New York’s senior senator, is also expected to remain neutral in the 2020 primary.

And Rep. Carolyn Maloney said Gillibrand hasn’t asked for her endorsement yet. “She’s working hard, she’s been going into South Carolina, New Hampshire and Iowa,” said Maloney — who was more critical in a recent New York Daily News story, questioning whether Gillibrand could beat President Donald Trump in Midwestern states key to victory in 2020.

And some members of the New York delegation are waiting to see whether Beto O’Rourke jumps into the presidential race, citing their close relationship with the former House member from Texas.

“No one seems to be willing to stick their neck out for” Gillibrand, said Rebecca Katz, a New York-based Democratic consultant.

Katz noted that Gillibrand’s 2017 comments that former President Bill Clinton should have resigned during the Monica Lewinsky scandal “might be part of the hesitation.”

But Katz said that “if you build it, they will come,” and if Gillibrand “resonates in Iowa and New Hampshire, then I’m sure the New York delegation will take notice.”

Some House members privately noted that Gillibrand’s relationship with other New York Democrats isn’t as strong as Schumer’s. “We see and deal with him a lot more,” said one member, granted anonymity to discuss internal delegation dynamics.

But Gillibrand is reaching out to her colleagues. On Tuesday, Gillibrand invited members of the New York delegation to an impromptu event with New York county officials at Bistro Bis, a restaurant on Capitol Hill. But only one member showed up to the early evening event, which coincided with House votes, after Gillibrand’s office extended the invitation two hours earlier, according to people with knowledge of the invitations.

Harris faces a similar problem as Gillibrand, staring down a massive California delegation with its own set of allegiances and priorities. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), for example, has already endorsed Sanders. And as in New York, some California members are also waiting to see O’Rourke’s next move, while Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) has also said he could run and could attract some in-state support.

“I think it’s pretty early in the process,” said Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.). “I mean, I’ve known Sen. Harris for a long time. I’m proud that a woman of color, Indian-American woman is running, and that’s what I shared with her. But I also said it’s really early in the process and the field’s not set.”

“Four people from my class are potentially running — Beto O’Rourke, John [Delaney], Tulsi [Gabbard]’s already running, Swalwell potentially runs,” Bera continued. “I think all of us will weigh in at some juncture. Kamala and I will talk again in a couple of months.”

But Harris has still secured endorsements from California’s governor, a handful of big city mayors and much of the state Senate to go with the five members of Congress who have endorsed her so far.

“Just by virtue of how large and diverse the New York and California delegations are and how complicated their internal politics can be, it will be harder for any presidential candidate to lock them down,” said Craig Varoga, a Democratic strategist who’s worked on presidential campaigns. “It's a credit to Booker that he could get New Jersey, but it’s still easier to get New Jersey than California or New York — those just aren’t as realistic.”

Heather Caygle, John Bresnahan and Melanie Zanona contributed to this report.