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Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Net Worth Overview
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s net worth is estimated to be between $600,000-$800,000 based on her 2018 Financial Disclosure documents[1].
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s Net Worth from Investments and Assets
According to financial disclosures and various estimates of assets acquired throughout her life, Kirsten Gillibrand’s net worth is around $600,000 [2].
| Assets | Value |
| Stocks (Credit Unions, Pharmaceuticals) | ~$73,000 |
| Banking Investments (Citi Money Market, Citi Checking) | ~$150,000 |
| Book Deal | ~$210,000 |
| House (Former) | ~$1.48 million |
| Total | $1.93 million |
While Kirsten Gillibrand’s net worth according to our estimates ought to be more than $1.9 million, her financial disclosure documents display her wealth as less than half that.
Democratic Party Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Net Worth and Income
The main source of the New York Senator income now is his salary as a United States Senator[3].
Income Source 1: Salary as a United States Senator
He has been a United States Senator from New York since 2009, ever since she won the Senate Election in 2008. She was the youngest Senator in the 111th Congress[4].
She makes a base salary of $174,000 in her role as a US Senator. However, this salary began merely 9 years ago, which doesn’t account for her other wealth.
Income Source 2: Legal Practice
Senator Gillibrand worked for two major law firms before her political career. Her first job was at Davis Polk & Wardwell. According to industry estimates, the average salary for a Davis Polk attorney in 2019 was $187,917[5].
However, since she worked there in the 1990s, it’s very hard to figure out her income through extrapolation.
According to Open Secrets, her salary at Boies, Schiller, & Flexner, the second law firm, was $90,000[6].
However, her income during her years in legal practice doesn’t tell us how much her net worth is.
Income Source 3: Book Deals
Senator Gillibrand has authored a personal memoir called “Off the Sidelines: Raise Your Voice, Change the World”.
She earned $133,760 off the book deal after accounting for expenses in the first year of publication (2014). The book became a bestseller. She received another $75,000 from the book deal in 2015[7].
She also wrote a children’s book, “Bold & Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right To Vote,” released in November 2018.
Income Source 4: Family Assets and Investments
Senator Gillibrand listed her and her husband Jonathan Gillibrand Rensselaer County Home for sale in 2010 when she filled Hillary Clinton’s former Senate Seat. The home was listed for $1.48 million[8].
According to Open Secrets, she has invested more than $200,000 in stocks, credit unions, equities, and the money market.
Kirsten Gillibrand net worth: Senator Gillibrand with Reverend Al Sharpton. Credit: Instagram @KirstenGillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand’s Early Life
Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik was born on December, 9, 1966 in Albany, New York. Her parents, Polly Edwina and Douglas Paul Rutnik were both attorneys[9]. Her father was also a lobbyist. In the late 1980s, her parents divorced. Senator Gillibrand has an elder brother and younger sister.
Her maternal grandmother was a co-founder at the Albany Democratic Women’s Club. She was also a leader of the city’s Democratic political machine[10].
Kirsten Gillibrand graduated from Emma Willard School in Troy, New York in 1984[11]. She enrolled at Dartmouth College [12] soon after and majored in Asian studies. She studied in both Beijing and Taiwan. In 1988, she graduated magna cum laude. During her college studies, she interned at Senator Al D’Amato’s office in Albany[13].
In 1991, she received her J.D. from the UCLA School of Law[14]. She passed the bar exam the same year. She joined the Manhattan law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell as an associate[15]. She took leave from that job in 1992 to serve as a law clerk to Judge Roger Miner[16]. He was a member of the US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in Albany. She has worked in New York City most of her adult life.
At Davis Polk, Senator Gillibrand was a defense attorney for Phillip Morris[17]. In the mid-90s, she defended the company against the criminal investigation. This was regarding perjury in the company executive’s testimony before Congress.
The case resulted in the inquiry being dropped. She then became a senior associate at the firm. During her time at the firm, she also became the leader of the Women’s Leadership Forum[18].
In 2001, she became a partner at Boies, Schiller & Flexner at the Manhattan Office[19]. She married her husband Jonathan Gillibrand during this same time. She transferred to the Albany Office from New York City in 2002, intending to run for office[20]. In 2005, she left the firm to begin her 2006 campaign for Congress.
Kirsten Gillibrand Net Worth: The Senator with her dog Maple. Credit: Instagram @KirstenGillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand’s Political Career
In 2000, Gillibrand worked on the 2000 US Senate Campaign of Hillary Clinton[21]. The women she recruited for Hillary at the time also worked on Gillibrand’s own campaigns later.
In 2006, she ran for New York’s 20th Congressional District[22]. On the advice of Hillary Clinton, she ran in 2006, 2 years after she first considered the move. She ran on Conservative Principles since the 20th District was known to be right-leaning. She focused on gun rights and not granting amnesty to illegal immigrants. She won with 53% of the vote.
She retook the district in 2008 against New York Secretary of State Sandy Treadwell by 62% of the vote[23].
That same year, she also ran to occupy Hillary Clinton’s seat in the United States Senate[24]. She won and was sworn in in January 2009. She also won the special election for the same seat in 2010.
She also won re-election in 2012 for a full 6-year term by 72.2% of the vote[25]. This set a record for the largest victory margin for a statewide candidate in New York history.
She won for a 2nd 6-year term in 2018 with 67% of the vote.
She unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic Nomination for President in 2020[26].
Kirsten Gillibrand Accomplishments
She served as Special Counsel to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development [27] during her time at Davis Polk. She also worked on the HUD’s Labor Initiative and the New Markets Initiative [28]. She also worked on the enforcement of the Davis Bacon Act [29].
Senator Gillibrand has consistently supported women’s rights issues while in office. She was the first high-profile Democrat to say that Bill Clinton should’ve resigned after his affair with Monica Lewinsky was revealed. This was during the MeToo Movement[30].
Kirsten Gillibrand Controversies
She voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008[31]. She was part of the Blue Dog Coalition of Moderate-to-Conservative Democrats[32].
She also initially advocated for civil unions for same-sex couples[33] instead of for federal legalization. She changed her position when she ran for the Senate in 2008.
Even though Senator Gillibrand maintained a zero-tolerance policy against sexual harassment, she retained a male staffer with several sexual harassment allegations. He was immediately fired after Politico published the allegations[34].
Similar Senator Net Worth and Income Articles:
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- Pat Toomey Net Worth And Income Sources
- Jack Reed Net Worth And Income Sources
Kirsten Gillibrand Biography
| Legal Name/Birth Name | Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (‘nee Rutnik) |
| Kirsten Gillibrand Net Worth | $600,000-$800,000 |
| Pseudonyms | Tina (former nickname) |
| Source of Wealth | Junior United States Senator from New York |
| Date of Birth | December 9, 1966 |
| Place of Birth | Albany, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Gender | Female |
| Height | 167 cm (5 ft 6 in) |
| Weight | N/A |
| Religion | Born Catholic, Worships at “various Christian Churches” |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Partner/Spouse | Jonathan Gillibrand (married since 2001) |
| Children | 2 |
| Names of Children | Theodore Gillibrand, Henry Gillibrand |
Frequently Asked Questions About Kirsten Gillibrand
What is Kirsten Gillibrand’s Approval Rating?
Kirsten Gillibrand has a ~74% favorability rating as of March 24, 2021[35].
Is Kirsten Gillibrand Conservative or Liberal?
Kirsten Gillibrand has shifted her position from Moderate Conservative to more liberal and progressive during her time in the Senate. She is still part of the Blue Dog Coalition, a coalition of Centrist, Moderate Democrats in the Senate.
How Old is Kirsten Gillibrand?
Kirsten Gillibrand was born on December 9, 1966. This makes her 55 years old.
Is Kirsten Gillibrand the Youngest Senator?
No. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was the youngest Senator of the 111th Congress when she got elected in 2009. In 2021, that spot belongs to Jon Ossoff[36].
How can I Contact Kirsten Gillibrand?
You can contact her using his official E-mail or using a contact form on his Senate Webpage [37].
References
[1] https://www.opensecrets.org/personal-finances/net-worth?cid=N00027658&year=2018&__cf_chl_captcha_tk__=QawCl_YyTMtPntYtHSv7riG3dWnIiPI1sNabTRMuh.8-1639397822-0-gaNycGzNCNE
[2] https://efdsearch.senate.gov/search/view/annual/19ac2d65-ace0-4415-91f8-4c9b36598fac/
[3] https://www.senate.gov/senators/SenateSalariesSince1789.htm
[4] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kirsten-Gillibrand
[5] https://heavy.com/money/2019/01/kirsten-gillibrand-net-worth/
[6] https://www.opensecrets.org/pfds../otherdata.php?year=2006&cid=N00027658
[7] https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/vote-up/2015/04/15/gillibrand-received-275000-for-book/25850849/
[8] https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/realestate/31Deal2.html
[9] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kirsten-Gillibrand
[10] https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/nyregion/01family.html
[11] https://www.emmawillard.org/news-detail?pk=1056693
[12] https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2019/02/gillibrand-88-returns-presidential-candidate
[13] https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/nyregion/10damato.html
[14] https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/about#:~:text=A%20magna%20cum%20laude%20graduate,Second%20Circuit%20Court%20of%20Appeals.
[15] https://abovethelaw.com/2010/12/kirsten-gillibrand-at-davis-polk/
[16] https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/2nd-Circuit-judge-Miner-3341522.php
[17] https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/nyregion/27gillibrand.html
[18] https://femsfordemocracy.org/events/senator-kirsten-gillibrand
[19] https://www.bsfllp.com/news-events/boies-schiller-flexner-partner-kirsten-gillibrand-elected-to.html
[20] https://nymag.com/news/politics/57197/
[21] https://awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu/directory/kirsten-e-gillibrand/
[22] https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/NY/20
[23] https://www.npr.org/sections/politicaljunkie/2009/02/gop_hopes_to_pick_up_gillibran.html
[24] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jan/23/kirsten-gillibrand-new-york-senate
[25] https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections_in_New_York,_2012
[26] https://ballotpedia.org/Kirsten_Gillibrand_presidential_campaign,_2020
[27] https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/about
[28] https://alumni.ucla.edu/stories/kirsten-rutnik-gillibrand-j-d-91/
[29] https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/standing-with-business-owners-community-leaders-and-advocates-gillibrand-announces-her-legislation-to-make-bold-reforms-to-investments-in-american-infrastructure
[30] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/16/us/politics/gillibrand-bill-clinton-sexual-misconduct.html
[31] https://www.congress.gov/member/kirsten-gillibrand/G000555?q=%7B%22chamber%22%3A%22House%22%2C%22bill-status%22%3A%22resolving%22%7D
[32] https://justfacts.votesmart.org/public-statement/230778/gillibrand-named-blue-dog-of-the-week
[33] https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/agenda/marriage-equality
[34] https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/11/gillibrand-sexual-harassment-1214831
[35] https://morningconsult.com/2021/03/25/cuomo-schumer-gillibrand-approval-rating/
[36] https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Youngest_Senator.htm
[37] https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/email-me
