Chelsea Clinton Either Is Or Is Not Planning To Run For Congress

By Margaret Hartmann | October 27, 2011 | 1:30pm

Latest

This should give you an indication of how outrageously popular Bill and Hillary Clinton are: Their daughter, who we know very little about, may be thinking about running for Congress, and some are already predicting that she’ll win. This, of course, given that Chelsea Clinton herself has given little indication that she is considering a run for political office. But! She’s currently getting a Ph.D. in public policy from NYU and there are rumors that she’s thinking about running in New York’s 18th Congressional District, which is near her parents’ home in Chappaqua. The 18th is a swing district and supposedly leaders in the Democratic party think she’s an “automatic win” if the Democrat currently holding the seat — Nita Lowey — decides to retire. Family friend Judith Hope tells Politico that like her mother, Chelsea is particularly interested in health care and issues affecting women and girls. She adds,

“She’s like her parents — she’s a wonk. But she also is personable and savvy and she certainly knows the life, and she knows the liabilities. I would hope that she is coming into a phase where she realizes that she has her parents’ motivation to make things better.”

Sure, but that doesn’t mean Chelsea’s working on stump speeches. Lowey’s team says she is “100% running for reelection.” More importantly, Clinton spokesman Matt McKenna says the Chelsea rumors are, “100% false. She is not running for Congress in the 18th District or any other.” That two 100 percents — better hold off on printing up any lawn signs.