And while many, often progressive-identifying men would rather criticize and attack Gillibrand for her advocacy for sexual assault survivors — specifically, her leadership in calling for former Sen. Al Franken's resignation from the Senate — there are actual shortcomings in her record she should answer for. Gillibrand has formerly taken hard-line anti-immigration stances, as well as dangerous pro-gun stances, when she formerly served a conservative New York Congressional district in the House of Representatives. That said, Gillibrand has already expressed an openness to discussing this record, and spoken to the experiences and dialogues that moved her to grow and evolve.
Criticisms of Sen. Harris are complicated by her mixed record as a prosecutor and attorney general of California prior to joining the Senate. Still, Harris and others have acknowledged the difficult reality that the criminal justice system is flawed and deeply racist by nature. Additionally, her record also includes progressive reforms that deserve attention, while her Senate work has largely centreed around uplifting people of marginalized identities, particularly in the realm of criminal justice reform. Valid as some of the strongest criticisms of Harris have been, including her support for policies that have harmed or endangered sex workers, most have lacked in meaningful context and nuance that considers what was within her power to change during her time as attorney general, or her Senate work and progressive evolution.
Scrutiny surrounding Harris' record is further complicated by her identity as a woman of colour, and, so far, the only viable woman of colour in the presidential field. Most of this scrutiny comes from progressives and left-leaning voters, who are right to question her record, but should also consider questioning their underlying biases and priorities.
The perspective and experience of women of colour candidates, and their power to represent, serve, and identify with those they serve, is transformative. Political science research has already made it abundantly clear that female and minority lawmakers govern differently, with an eye to the needs of communities that are traditionally excluded. Interestingly enough, these communities are often the most reliably Democratic voting blocs, and as they grow in size and political clout, they deserve a Democratic Party that adequately represents them.