Vet gears up for Gillibrand battle

Army veteran William Schweitzer has announced a bid to take on US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in the 2024 Democratic primary.

In remarks to The Post, Schweitzer, 35, said, “Gillibrand’s record is underwhelming for a senator from New York.”

A Rochester native who lives in Manhattan’s Battery Park City, Schweitzer (right) served in the 75th Ranger Regiment, where he completed multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, “witnessing firsthand the challenges faced by our nation’s foreign policy.”

“As a ranger, you are the tip of the spear in every way. There’s high standards and high expectations. People rely on you,” Schweitzer said.

He also worked for New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer’s Rochester district office and was deputy press secretary for ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2018 re-election campaign.

Running for a third full term, Gillibrand has never faced a serious primary, cruising to re-election against GOP opponents in the heavily Democratic state.

But Schweitzer, a father of two young boys, charges she’s been missing in action. “She’s out of touch,” he said. “It’s necessary for someone to step up and hand her a primary. It’s long overdue.”

He said he supports laws to end gun violence, backs public funding of political campaigns, protecting abortion rights and incentives to urge more Americans join the military — and would work to eliminate the $10,000 federal cap on state and local tax deductions.

A Gillibrand rep said, “Sen. Gillibrand has consistently delivered real results for New York families.”