Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is not happy with the lack of diversity among the leading candidates for a 2020 Democratic presidential nominee.
CNN’s Van Jones showed Gillibrand a recent poll of the leading eight Democratic choices for a 2020 presidential nominees and the top three were all white men: former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas). Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) took the fourth and fifth spots.
When Jones asked Gillibrand if she was worried that the top three candidates are all white guys, the Senator responded flatly: “Yes.”
Gillibrand explained her reasoning, telling Jones, “I aspire for our country to recognize the beauty of our diversity in some point in the future and I hope some day we have a woman president.”
“I love the fact that Barack Obama was our president for eight years, I hope more people of color not only aspire and win the presidency because that’s what makes America so extraordinary,” she continued. “We are all of that, we are everything. And I think a more inclusive America is a stronger America.”
Gillibrand may throw her hat into the ring as well. In an interview with Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” last month, the New York senator teased a possible 2020 presidential bid.
“I believe it is a moral question for me,” Gillibrand responded when Colbert asked if she’s considering running. “I believe in right vs. wrong, and until this election I actually thought that wrong was winning. As I’ve traveled across my state, across the country for all these candidates, I’ve seen the hatred and the division that President Trump has put out into our country and it has called me to fight as hard as I possibly can to restore the moral compass of this country.”
She left her answer open-ended, adding: “I promise you I will give it a long hard thought of consideration.”