Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who is seeking to chair the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) for the 2026 cycle, thinks Democrats have waited too long to address the current immigration crisis.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, the senator said, “To me, it would have been great if we had gotten these common-sense, bipartisan ideas on the table two years ago, like, really, some time ago, because the urgent need was very much in mind for certain communities in New York.”
One of the top takeaways from Fox News Digital Voter Analysis data after the 2024 election was that immigration was one of the nation’s biggest issues. When voters were asked about reducing the number of immigrants allowed to seek asylum, more than twice as many supported reducing the number of immigrants allowed to do so.
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The senator is hoping to lead the Democrat’s 2026 campaign. (Getty Images/File)
Democrats made their case for dealing with it by citing a border and immigration bill negotiated by a Republican senator, a Democrat senator and an independent border state senator. However, by the time the bill made its final appearance on the Senate floor, two of its three negotiators had abandoned it. Only one Republican chose to vote in favor of the measure.
During the campaign, Democrats touted the bill and tried to pass it amid concerns about the border, often criticizing their Republican colleagues and President-elect Donald Trump for standing against it. .
Gillibrand said immigration concerns were among the top concerns brought to her attention by voters.
“They wanted to make sure their kids were safe. So issues like immigration and fentanyl trafficking and gun trafficking were really important to them.” He said.
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People stand in front of a border wall as they wait to apply for asylum after crossing the border from Mexico on July 11, 2023, near Yuma, Ariz. (AP Photo/Gregory Bill)
That, and the economy and the cost of living, “were really more prominent,” the senator said, reflecting on 2024 and how to win in red or purple districts made up of swing voters.
When asked about abortion messages in 2026, Gillibrand did not say what she would do in the 2026 cycle if elected to lead the DSCC, but said that in this cycle ” People really want to talk about the value of things.”
On whether identity politics played a role in the Democrat’s loss and if the party should move away from it, she disagreed with some of her fellow Democrats.
““I think there was a bent by the Republican candidates to divide America, which I found really unfortunate,” he said.
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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images/File)
To fight those efforts, Gillibrand said, “I think you call it that. I mean, tell the truth about it. And, you know, on a lot of these issues, a lot of our state governments. It’s already taken care of.”
The New York senator said that although the 2024 election was a few weeks ago, the 2026 Senate cycle “really starts today.”
She said she wants to lead the DSCC so she can “help other candidates across the country stay in their communities, not two months before the election, but two years before the election, talking to voters that they What do you care about most?”
Notably, Gillibrand flipped a red House district blue when she was first elected in 2006, removing an incumbent.
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Gillibrand says Democrat North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, above, would be a good candidate to turn the state’s Senate seat blue. (Getty Images/File)
Although the senator has not yet been officially chosen to take on the challenge of running the Democrat campaign, he is already eyeing some contenders. In particular, Gillibrand said she thinks Democrat North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper would be a good candidate to try to turn a Senate seat in the state blue.
“I haven’t talked to him yet, but he’s very impressive,” she said.
The Senate seat in North Carolina is held by incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis, RNC.
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Gillibrand also noted that a Senate majority may not be something Democrats can earn back in 2026, telling Fox News Digital, “Sometimes it takes time to get a majority, and it can take two cycles. “
“All I know is that there are great races and great candidates across the country that hopefully I can be a part of recruiting, and hopefully we can win our majority.”
