IV.

United States Senator

In 2000 Clinton made her own bid for political office when she announced her candidacy for a seat in the U.S. Senate from New York. In January 2000 she moved from the White House to a new home in Chappaqua, New York, to establish residency in the state. In the 2000 election, Clinton defeated Republican Rick Lazio. She took office in January 2001.

In the Senate, Clinton focused her attention on issues such as improving education, protecting the environment, and strengthening homeland security. She also became known for her detailed knowledge of Senate procedures. During her first two years in office, she worked to keep a low profile and avoid the extensive publicity she received as first lady. In 2003, however, Clinton reclaimed the public spotlight when she published her memoirs, Living History. The bestselling book detailed her years as first lady, including her reaction to her husband’s affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky (see Clinton, Bill: Investigations and Impeachment).

Clinton came under criticism from the liberal wing of the Democratic Party for her early support of the U.S.-Iraq War. She voted for the resolution that authorized President George W. Bush to use military force against Iraq. During and after the 2004 presidential elections, a number of leading Democratic figures, who had also voted for the resolution, declared that their vote had been a mistake. Clinton, however, never publicly renounced her vote. In 2006 she began to criticize the Bush administration’s handling of the war, particularly the role played by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. During the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in 2006, she faced an antiwar opponent but won her party’s nomination by an overwhelming margin. Clinton was easily reelected to a second Senate term in the November 2006 elections.