The last time I was with Congresswoman Gillibrand was at a gathering at Senator Clinton's home in June. Gillibrand's new baby was six months old, I was pregnant with my third, and we were talking about what it's like to pump milk at work or on the road. She was not complaining, nor was I, but working mothers know how this new task adds a level of complexity to your already hectic day, particularly if that day takes place in the House of Representatives.

Now, with the appointment of Gillibrand to the U.S. Senate, all I can think is how excited I am to have another working mother in that chamber! A woman who knows how hard it is to balance the demands of parenting and ambition while trying to do something positive in the world.

Kirsten Gillibrand's gender and the fact that she is a mother do not exclusively define her, just like mine don't exclusively define me. But they do give her a special sensitivity to issues that other people aren't seeing and these are issues that she brings to her work in Congress. Case in point, as a member of the Armed Services Committee, Gillibrand insisted that the group allocate funding to address the mental health issues of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. When she brought this issue up, she described the response from the senior men on that committee as shocked and confused. But ultimately they passed a 2008 appropriations bill that set aside funds for mental health and PTSD treatment for returning vets -- after years of ignoring the issue.

Research shows that men under 40 are 40% more likely than women under 40 to have ever considered running for office. When Congresswoman Gillibrand announced her pregnancy in 2007, she was lambasted by many voters who publicly suggested she should return the salary for her days off work. Yet Gillibrand, like so many working mothers, was miraculously able to do her job and do it well, despite her pregnancy and ultimately, the birth of her second child. Until we have more women in office -- especially women like Kirsten who understand what it is like to balance family and work, and who can disprove the notion that childbearing in not commensurate with intelligence, ability, productivity -- our policies will falter.

Kirsten Gillibrand’s story highlights what is possible. Emerge America is the premier training program for Democratic women running for office. We train women to run and win at the state and local level. Did you know there are 500,000 elected offices in the United States? Have you ever thought about running for office yourself? If not, why not? I would love to hear your thoughts. Email me at contact@emergeamerica.org.

Andrea Dew Steele is the Founder and President of Emerge America.