I disagree with the notion that Democrats paid a price over Al Franken.

I think Tina Smith is an extraordinary U.S. senator doing a great job, and having a higher electoral victory than her predecessor. I think Kamala Harris, who replaced Al Franken on the Judiciary Committee, has shown she is a tremendous voice on that committee, and has done an outstanding job. The fact that Roy Moore was not elected, and we have an extraordinary Democrat in Doug Jones. The fact that 2018 was an enormous victory for the Democratic Party. Not only did we flip the House of Representatives because women ran in red and purple places across this country, we had extraordinary victories across the country. Women in America know that the Democratic Party values them. Women in America know that the Republican Party might not. And I would challenge the Democratic Party—do not lose sight that you have to do the right thing, even when it’s hard. And I think that when we value women and do the right thing long-term, we will prevail, we will be stronger and we will earn the support of Americans, because we value their mothers, their daughters and their sisters.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, in an interview on “The Daily”