WASHINGTON: 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.
Gabbard, 37, said she will formally announce her candidacy within a week. The Iraq War veteran is the second woman after Senator Elizabeth Warren to enter the presidential race from the Democratic party. 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.
Gabbard, a four-time Democratic lawmaker in the US House of Representatives from Hawaii, told CNN Friday: “I have decided to run and will be making a formal announcement within the next week”. “There are many reasons I’m offering to serve you as President — to ensure every American gets the healthcare they need, to bring about comprehensive immigration reform, to make sure we have clean water and clean air for generations to come, to fix our broken criminal justice system, to end the corrupt influence of special interests in Washington, and so much more.
“But the main reason I’m running has to do with an issue that is central to the rest — war and peace. I look forward to talking with you more about this in the coming days. When we stand together, united by our love for each other and for our country, there is no challenge we cannot overcome,” she wrote in an email sent to her supporters. In her first tweet after the announcement, Gabbard urged her fellow countrymen to join her campaign (PTI)
