Tulsi Gabbard Tulsi Gabbard announce 2020 presidential bids
WASHINGTON : Tulsi Gabbard says she will run for president in 2020, ending months of speculation about whether the 37 year-old would join what is expected to be a crowded field of Democratic primary contenders in the race to unseat President Donald Trump.
Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu elected to US Congress and a four-time Democratic lawmaker, has said she will run for President in 2020, becoming the latest member of her party to challenge Republican President Donald Trump. Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii, said in an interview with CNN’s Van Jones on Saturday evening that she will make a formal announcement of her intention to run for president within the next week.
In the interview, she told Jones that health care access, criminal justice reform and climate change were among the reasons she has decided through her hat in the ring. “There are a lot of challenges that are facing the American people that I’m concerned about and that I want to help solve,” Gabbard said.
An Iraq war veteran, Gabbard made history when she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 by becoming the first Samoan-American and the first Hindu member of Congress. She previously served as the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, but resigned to support Vermont Sen. Bernie Sander’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Gabbard sparked controversy for meeting with Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad. Her 2020 candidacy has attracted criticism from some on the left for her past opposition to same-sex marriage when she was a Hawaii state legislator.
Gabbard and Castro will likely face steep competition for the Democratic presidential nomination. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced the creation of an exploratory committee right before the New Year and has already begun stumping in Iowa. Other individuals reportedly considering runs include Sanders and Vice President Joe Biden. More than 12 Democratic leaders including Indian-origin Senator from California Kamala Harris are expected to announce their White House bid to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020.(With Agencies Inputs ).
