Senator, lawyer, mother, children’s book author and now, Democratic candidate for president. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is in. “I’m filing an exploratory committee for president of the United States tonight.” Hailing from President Trump’s home state of New York, she’s joining what will likely be a crowded 2020 field. “Which Democrats —” “Who will run for president in 2020?” “The list is growing. It ranges from —” Gillibrand is a former corporate lawyer and congresswoman. Growing up in a political family in Albany, She fell in love early on. “I was drawn into politics when I was a little girl. And it was really with my grandmother, who loved politics.” She was appointed to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate in 2009. “Welcome, Senator.” Gillibrand went on to win the seat again in a 2010 special election and has held it ever since. Over time she has reversed her positions on immigration and gun control. “You start off in a different place on immigration and now you’re more progressive on that. On guns, you started off, you know, more kind of pro-Second Amendment. Now, you went from having an ‘A’ to an ‘F’ from the N.R.A.” “I recognize that there was a lot of things I didn’t know, and I should have been fighting for them before.” She’s now one of the party’s most reliably liberal voices. Some of her priorities: A populist economic agenda, women’s rights and gender equality and fighting for victims of sexual assault with a focus on the military. Who is being held accountable for doing nothing since 2013? Who? Which commander?” Gillibrand was the first senator in her party to call for the resignation of fellow Democrat Al Franken, following accusations of sexual misconduct. “Enough is enough.” Here she is during Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings. “I want to really have Dr. Blasey Ford’s back tomorrow. So I’m going to sit behind her. Not only do I support her. But I believe her.” So what is her dynamic with President Trump? He said: “‘She’s just a puppet of Schumer. You know that. He put her there.” He’s also referred to her as a “lightweight” who would do anything for money. She responded this way. “It was a sexist smear. It’s part of the president’s effort at name calling and it’s not going to silence me.” Gillibrand has also voted against almost all of Trump’s major nominees. “I urge my colleagues. Reject this bad choice.” So what are her chances? Gillibrand is seen as a serious contender, but so far her poll numbers are low. Her next step? Building a national profile and campaign.