When the New York Senator Daniel Moynihan decided to retire, several senior Democrat leaders urged Hillary Clinton to run for the vacant seat in the year 2000. Having decided to take the plunge, the Clintons bought a home north of New York City. This was a shrewd move since Hillary had never resided in New York. Her opponents were already beginning to call her a “parachute candidate.” After setting up base in the state, Hillary went on to go on a “connect and listen” tour of the state and covered the entire state. Clinton adapted to the busy streets of New York and brought a little southern promise to the city that never sleeps. She never changed her politics, but she added a little designer jewelery to appeal to her bling desiring voters. She spent a significant amount of time in upstate New York, traditionally considered a Republican stronghold.
Her campaign manifesto included creating more than 200,000 jobs in the state, tax credits for job creation, tax cuts for college tuition etc. Her opponent Rick Lazio and she set a record for the maximum expenditure during a campaign. They spent a whopping $90 million combined. Clinton won with 55 percent of the votes. Lazio could manage only 43 percent of the votes.
Hillary’s achievements as a senator are amazing. She served on five different Senate committees. She played a key role in securing a $21 billion funding for the World Trade Center site’s redevelopment after the September 11 attack.
She also helped in introducing the Family Entertainment Protection Act, which sought to protect children from harmful and inappropriate content in video games. Senator Clinton was re-elected to the position in 2006 by garnering 67 percent of the votes. Her second term saw her voting in favor of the war-spending bill that forced President Bush to begin withdrawing troops by a fixed deadline. She also supported the proposed bailout of corporate America’s financial system after the peak of the financial crisis of 2007–2008. Hillary Clinton had a very eventful tenure as a senator and that political experience has helped her in her role as the Secretary of State.