Chelsea Clinton Being Prepped for Congress Run by New York Democrats: Report

Hillary Clinton may have lost the biggest election of her life on Tuesday, but the Clinton political dynasty is far from over as former first daughter Chelsea Clinton is preparing to run for Congress, according to a new report.

Chelsea Clinton is being groomed for the New York seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey, the New York Post reported. Lowey, 79, has spent nearly 30 years in office and may be looking to retire soon. She represents the 17th Congressional District, which includes Chappaqua, New York, where Bill and Hillary Clinton live.

“There has been a lot of speculation within New York Democratic circles about Lowey’s retirement and Chelsea running for the seat," a source with knowledge of the matter told the Post. "There is a belief that Chappaqua is a logical place for Chelsea to run, because it would be straightforward for her to raise money and build a powerful base.”

In August, the Clintons shelled out more than $1 million for a three-bedroom, 3,631-square-foot house next door. At the time, it was believed to be a house for Chelsea, husband Marc Mezvinsky, and their children, Charlotte and Aidan, to get away. Now it could become the family's home to establish residency for a Congressional run. They currently live in Manhattan, where Chelsea is also registered to vote.

The source added: “While it is true the Clintons need some time to regroup after Hillary’s crushing loss, they will not give up. Chelsea would be the next extension of the Clinton brand. In the past few years, she has taken a very visible role in the Clinton Foundation and on the campaign trail. While politics isn’t the life Hillary wanted for Chelsea, she chose to go on the campaign trail for her mother and has turned out to be very poised, articulate and comfortable with the visibility.”

Clinton was a highly visible advocate during her mother's 2016 White House run — a sharp difference from 2008 when she often stayed out of the spotlight.

In July, at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Clinton delivered a speech that introduced her mother in which she said she was taught at an early age the value of public service.

"They taught me to care about what happens in our world and to do whatever I could to change what frustrated me, what felt wrong," Clinton said. "They taught me that’s the responsibility that comes with being smiled on by fate."

She added: "And I know my kids are a little young, but I’m already trying to instill those same values in them. There’s something else that my mother taught me, public service is about service."

Clinton, who currently serves as the vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, holds a B.A. from Stanford, an MPH from Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health and both an MPhil and a Doctorate in International Relations from Oxford University.

Photo credit: Lorie Shaull via Flickr Commons