Hillary Clinton

===2000 U.S. Senate election===
{{Main|2000 United States Senate election in New York}}

When New York's long-serving U.S. senator [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]] announced his retirement in November 1998, several prominent Democratic figures, including Representative [[Charles Rangel]] of New York, urged Clinton to run for his open seat in the [[2000 United States Senate elections|Senate election of 2000]].{{sfn|Bernstein|2007|p=530}} Once she decided to run, the Clintons purchased a home in [[Chappaqua, New York]], north of New York City, in September 1999.<ref>{{Cite news |author=Nagourney, Adam |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/03/nyregion/with-some-help-clintons-purchase-a-white-house.html |title=With Some Help, Clintons Purchase a White House |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 3, 1999 |author-link=Adam Nagourney}}</ref> She became the first wife of the president of the United States to be a candidate for elected office.{{sfn|Gerth|Van Natta|2007|p=204}} Initially, Clinton expected to face [[Rudy Giuliani]]—the mayor of New York City—as her Republican opponent in the election. Giuliani withdrew from the race in May 2000 after being diagnosed with prostate cancer and matters related to his failing marriage became public. Clinton then faced [[Rick Lazio]], a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives who represented [[New York's 2nd congressional district]]. Throughout the campaign, opponents accused Clinton of [[Parachute candidate|carpetbagging]], because she had never resided in New York State or participated in the state's politics before the 2000 Senate race.{{sfn|Gerth|Van Natta|2007|pp=200, 204}}

[[Bill de Blasio]] was Clinton's campaign manager. She began her drive to the U.S. Senate by visiting all 62 counties in the state, in a "listening tour" of small-group settings.{{sfn|Gerth|Van Natta|2007|p=210}} She devoted considerable time in traditionally Republican [[Upstate New York]] regions. Clinton vowed to improve the economic situation in those areas, promising to deliver 200,000&nbsp;jobs to the state over her term. Her plan included tax credits to reward job creation and encourage business investment, especially in the high-tech sector. She called for personal tax cuts for college tuition and long-term care.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://cgi.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/11/07/senate.ny/ |title=Hillary Rodham Clinton scores historic win in New York |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=November 8, 2000 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115201929/http://cgi.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/11/07/senate.ny/ |archive-date=January 15, 2016 }}</ref>

The contest drew national attention. During a September debate, Lazio blundered when he seemed to invade Clinton's [[personal space]] by trying to get her to sign a fundraising agreement.{{sfn|Gerth|Van Natta|2007|pp=212–13}} Their campaigns, along with Giuliani's initial effort, spent a record combined $90&nbsp;million.<ref name="nyt121300">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/13/nyregion/lazio-sets-spending-mark-for-a-losing-senate-bid.html |title=Lazio Sets Spending Mark for a Losing Senate Bid |author=Levy, Clifford J. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 13, 2000}}</ref> Clinton won the election on November 7, 2000, with 55&nbsp;percent of the vote to Lazio's 43&nbsp;percent.{{sfn|Gerth|Van Natta|2007|pp=212–13}} She was sworn in as U.S. senator on January 3, 2001, and as [[George W. Bush]] was still 17 days away from being inaugurated as president after winning the 2000 presidential election, that meant from January 3–20, she simultaneously held the titles of First Lady and Senator&nbsp;– a first in U.S. history.{{sfn|Bernstein|2007|p=6}}