Kirsten Gillibrand says she'll think long and hard about a 2020 presidential bid

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) Said Thursday she would give a 2020 presidential bid "a long, hard thought of consideration," marking a shift in posture of how she addressed issues about her ambitions during her just-concluded reelection campaign.

Gillibrand, who was appointed to fill Hillary Clinton's Senate seat and won reelection Tuesday, addressed the issue during an appearance on CBS's "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." "

Gillibrand called that "an important question."

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"I believe right now that we should all be able to do what we can with our time, with our talents to restore that moral decency, that we are Americans," she told Colbert . "So I will promise you a long, hard thought of consideration."

Gillibrand brushed off questions about 2020, pleading for a full-fledged sixth-year of New York.

If she runs, Gillibrand is expected to be part of a crowded field of Democrats, including several of her colleagues from the Senate.

During her tenure, Gillibrand has been outspoken on issues such as sexual assault in the military, sexual harassment, and equal pay for women and family leave.

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In the wake of Wednesday's mass shooting in Southern California, Colbert introduced Gillibrand as someone with "an F rating from the NRA," a reference to the powerful gun-rights lobby, the National Rifle Association.

"It is extraordinarily heartbreaking, and it's infuriating because of the Congress," Gillibrand told Colbert. "And it is because of the greed of the gun manufacturers and the greed of the NRA."

She added that there is hope for change, based on the success of several days.