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Hillary Clinton: 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me

Hillary Clinton
Barbara Kinney/Hillary for America

She’s with Us! Former Secretary of State and current Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton shared 25 fun facts about herself exclusively with Us Weekly.

Related: PHOTOS: Bill and Hillary Clinton Through the Years

1. I love to snack on hot chili peppers, and I put hot sauce on everything.

2. I’m a total policy wonk, although that’s a pretty poorly kept secret.

3. I met Martin Luther King Jr. when I was 14. The youth minister at our church took us to see him speak and I got to shake his hand.

4. I can’t carry a tune for the life of me. My choir teacher used to ask me to mouth the words. I used to sing to my daughter, Chelsea, when she was a baby, until she said, “No sing, Mommy, no sing.” My friends can’t believe I sang on Saturday Night Live.

Related: PHOTOS: First Children

5. Bill Clinton proposed to me twice before I said yes.

6. I was a United States senator from New York when 9/11 happened, and I still feel a real commitment to making sure that the first responders who ran toward danger are getting the health treatment they deserve.

7. As secretary of state, I went to 112 countries and flew 956,733 miles. (Yes, somebody counted!)

8. My dad, Hugh Rodham, was a small-businessman. He printed fabric for drapes. We all helped out.

Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (right) speaks to supporters as former U.S. president Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton look on during her caucus night event in the Olmsted Center at Drake University on February 1, 2016, in Des Moines, Iowa. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

9. In between campaign stops and reading piles of briefing papers and news clips, I like to relax by reading mystery novels.

10. When I was a girl, I wrote to NASA to ask if I could become an astronaut. They wrote a very polite letter back saying they didn’t take girls.

Related: PHOTOS: Celebrities' Political Affiliations

11. Chocolate is my weakness … as are Goldfish.

12. My mom, Dorothy Rodham, was a Democrat and my dad, Hugh, was a Republican. So every election, they canceled out each other’s vote.

13. I am, and always will be, a Beatles fan. I also really love Adele.

14. One of the things I love best about campaigning is the personal stories people share with me. Some of them are heartbreaking. Some are inspiring. I learn from all of them. It’s really important for me to know firsthand what’s happening in people’s lives.

Hillary Clinton (left) and Katy Perry. Hillary for America

15. When I’m in New York, I ride around in a big conversion van. It has big comfy seats and a real power outlet. I kicked off my campaign by driving to Iowa in it.

16. My first job out of law school was with the Children’s Defense Fund. I didn’t want to join a big firm. I wanted to be a lawyer for poor kids. Working to give every child a better shot at the future has been my focus ever since.

Related: PHOTOS: Chelsea Clinton Through the Ages

17. Bill and I love going on long walks with our two dogs, Maisie and Tally. We were on one of those walks when President [Barack] Obama called to ask me to be his secretary of state.

18. The question I got most frequently when I traveled overseas was, “How can you be working for the man who defeated you?” Why did I do it? Because when your president asks you to serve, you say yes. I couldn’t be more glad that I did.

19. My mom always told me, “Everyone falls down. What matters is that you pick yourself up and keep going.” Best advice I ever got.

20. Here’s one that won’t surprise anyone: I’ve been coloring my hair for years.

21. I once had a job “sliming” salmon at an Alaska cannery. It was as glamorous as it sounds.

22. One of the things I’ve learned on the campaign trail is how serious the problem of substance abuse has become in our country. I’m determined to take it on.

23. I do yoga. Not enough.

24. I stay in touch with a lot of people from all parts of my life, and see them as often as I can. Most recently, while in Chicago, I got to see Betsy Ebeling, my best friend from growing up in Park Ridge, Illinois.

25. I’m the grandchild of a lace mill worker [Hugh Simpson Rodham]. And the grandmother of Charlotte [18 months], the most perfect grandchild in the world!

For more information, go to Clinton’s website.  And for our exclusive interview with Clinton and much more, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands Wednesday!

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