Sen. Gillibrand raises $2.2M, PAC reports

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand last year raised $2.2 million -- about half of it from New Yorkers -- for the "Off the Sidelines" political action committee she set up to help Democratic women congressional candidates, the PAC reported to the Federal Election Commission last week. The PAC says so far it has contributed just $351,000 to 35 women.

That leaves $984,754 after expenses in the bank at the start of a big midterm election year this year, with more expected to be raised. But Rutgers' Center for American Women and Politics predicts Gillibrand will have many candidates to support, with about 200 women expected to run for Congress this year, about 130 of them Democrats. -- Tom Brune