The former First Lady won by a landslide in the overwhelmingly Democratic state with almost 67 percent of the vote.
NEW YORK: Hillary Clinton easily secured reelection as New York senator, opening the door for a much talked about, but still undeclared, bid for the White House in 2008.
The former First Lady won by a landslide in the overwhelmingly Democratic state with almost 67 percent of the vote.
Her Republican opponent, John Spencer, picked up just over 30 percent. The focus ahead of Tuesday's vote had been not on whether Clinton would win reelection, but whether she would seek the Democratic Party's nomination for the presidency in two years.
Flanked by husband, former president Bill Clinton, she told screaming supporters in her acceptance speech at a plush New York hotel on Tuesday: "I am prepared to roll up my sleeves and get to work."
"The message couldn't be clearer: that it is time for a new course," she said, speaking as the Democrats won control of the House of Representatives from the Republicans.
"We believe in our country and we're going to take it back, starting tonight."
Asked repeatedly whether she will make a bid for the White House, Clinton, who turned 59 last month, has been non-committal.
"I've been asked that question a few times, and as I've said many times before I am focused on this election, on my work in the Senate," she said during a recent debate.
"Obviously people are talking about whether or not I will or should run for president, and I'm flattered by that, but I have made no decisions," she said.
Analysts are divided on whether Clinton will seek to become the first former First Lady to make a run for the White House.
"The way it's going, 'Clinton for President' can crank up and start working on November 8, the day after the election," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "And I think it will."
Clinton spent almost 30 million dollars of her US Senate campaign funds, more than any other candidate in the run-up to Tuesday's election, further fueling speculation that she is preparing for 2008.
New York University's Professor Steven Brams said the spending probably included funding given to other Democratic candidates' campaigns and that she would be looking to reap their support in her expected presidential bid.
"She'll be able to collect her chips, as we say, at some point from those she's helping out," he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}