Sen. Gillibrand on 2026 Senate Races: ‘We Just Have to Reckon with What People Are Thinking and How They Voted’

GILLIBRAND But I know ░░░░░░░░ you know that politics ░░░░░░░░ a combat sport Sometimes ░░░░░░░░ get knocked down the ░░░░░░░░ thing is what you ░░░░░░░░ when you get back ░░░░░░░░ and keep moving forward ░░░░░░░░ is how the Democratic ░░░░░░░░ candidates won in states ░░░░░░░░ the country even when ░░░░░░░░ Trump carried those states ░░░░░░░░ in Wisconsin in Arizona ░░░░░░░░ Nevada in Michigan our ░░░░░░░░ candidates Tammy Baldwin Ruben ░░░░░░░░ Jacky Rosen Elissa Slotkin ░░░░░░░░ victorious So you have ░░░░░░░░ know how did they ░░░░░░░░ it A relentless unwavering ░░░░░░░░ on the issues that ░░░░░░░░ to those voters the ░░░░░░░░ The cost of things ░░░░░░░░ cost of eggs The ░░░░░░░░ of meat The cost ░░░░░░░░ milk Public safety Can ░░░░░░░░ daughter walk to school ░░░░░░░░ her own Can she ░░░░░░░░ through the park Can ░░░░░░░░ family know that they ░░░░░░░░ safe These were the ░░░░░░░░ that voters were most ░░░░░░░░ on in those purple ░░░░░░░░ red states And it ░░░░░░░░ sense If you are ░░░░░░░░ about putting food on ░░░░░░░░ table if you re ░░░░░░░░ about whether your kids ░░░░░░░░ going to be safe ░░░░░░░░ school or whether your ░░░░░░░░ responders are getting attacked ░░░░░░░░ the subway by gang ░░░░░░░░ these worries will dominate ░░░░░░░░ thinking You won t ░░░░░░░░ thinking as much about ░░░░░░░░ issues whether it s ░░░░░░░░ or reproductive rights or ░░░░░░░░ environment And so we ░░░░░░░░ have to reckon with ░░░░░░░░ people are thinking and ░░░░░░░░ they voted and why ░░░░░░░░ voted the way they ░░░░░░░░ These kinds of issues ░░░░░░░░ always been at the ░░░░░░░░ of the Democratic Party ░░░░░░░░ American families If Democrats ░░░░░░░░ going to win we ░░░░░░░░ to make sure that ░░░░░░░░ issues remain at the ░░░░░░░░ of the message It ░░░░░░░░ t have to be ░░░░░░░░ only message We re ░░░░░░░░ going to care about ░░░░░░░░ else But they have ░░░░░░░░ hear it And there ░░░░░░░░ a lot of noise ░░░░░░░░ know how much noise ░░░░░░░░ is People receive their ░░░░░░░░ not from television not ░░░░░░░░ the newspaper but from ░░░░░░░░ phones And you know ░░░░░░░░ phones can so easily ░░░░░░░░ used for malign foreign ░░░░░░░░ for misinformation for targeted ░░░░░░░░ to harm people and ░░░░░░░░ they see the world ░░░░░░░░ s what we were ░░░░░░░░ against and we will ░░░░░░░░ back on that very ░░░░░░░░ So we only need ░░░░░░░░ look at President Trump ░░░░░░░░ what we re going ░░░░░░░░ think and talk about ░░░░░░░░ you look at what ░░░░░░░░ s done in his ░░░░░░░░ few weeks how many ░░░░░░░░ 10 10 days of ░░░░░░░░ administration he has cut ░░░░░░░░ to make kids be ░░░░░░░░ to make our seniors ░░░░░░░░ hungry to make our ░░░░░░░░ responders not have the ░░░░░░░░ they need to not ░░░░░░░░ the firefighters get the ░░░░░░░░ and support they need ░░░░░░░░ fight these fires in ░░░░░░░░ or fight the fires ░░░░░░░░ New York He s ░░░░░░░░ funding for every after ░░░░░░░░ program every early childhood ░░░░░░░░ program You can t ░░░░░░░░ the damage he s ░░░░░░░░ every day to the ░░░░░░░░ that we serve every ░░░░░░░░ And has he mentioned ░░░░░░░░ cost of eggs once ░░░░░░░░ he has not Has ░░░░░░░░ mentioned the cost of ░░░░░░░░ once No he has ░░░░░░░░ He is not talking ░░░░░░░░ the issues that the ░░░░░░░░ people want us and ░░░░░░░░ to be talking about ░░░░░░░░ I think this is ░░░░░░░░ opportunity for us Instead ░░░░░░░░ issuing the orders to ░░░░░░░░ funding for the law ░░░░░░░░ the fire departments nutrition ░░░░░░░░ veterans care in our ░░░░░░░░ threatening trade wars with ░░░░░░░░ allies we can be ░░░░░░░░ about what people care ░░░░░░░░ about.”