On This Day in History

September 12, 2000 Hillary Rodham Clinton became the first first lady to win an election when she prevailed in the New York Democratic Senate primary against opponent Mark McMahon:

…This primary election was also the first in which the name of a first lady was on the ballot, with Hillary Rodham Clinton easily winning the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate against Mark S. McMahon, a little-known Manhattan orthopedic surgeon.

With 98 percent of the vote counted, Mrs. Clinton received 82 percent of the vote, and Dr. McMahon received 18 percent. Aides to Mrs. Clinton’s Republican opponent, Representative Rick A. Lazio, had forecast that Mrs. Clinton would be viewed as a particularly weak contender for the November general election if her opponent in the Democratic primary received 30 percent of the vote. Still, Dr. McMahon’s showing suggested that Mrs. Clinton must contend with a group of Democratic voters who dislike her…

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