The Story:
A US Congresswoman from Hawaii, who was born in American Samoa in 1981 and who became, in 2013, the first Hindu ever to serve in the House of Representatives, has announced she is now a candidate for the Democratic Party’s 2020 nomination for President.
Background:
Tulsi Gabbard ‘s announcement of her campaign for President, on January 11, came roughly two months after she received a landslide reelection to a fourth term in Congress from the 2d district in Hawaii.
A veteran of the US Army, Gabbard served two tours of service in the Middle East: one in Iraq, another in Kuwait. She was in Iraq in a field medical unit with a 29th Support Battalion medical company, and received the Meritorious Service Medal as a consequence.
Gabbard holds a variety of political views of the sort widely described as “liberal.” She has, for example, 100% lifetime ratings from both Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America in connection with her ro-choice views on abortion.
The Thing to Know:
Of her reasons for running, Gabbard said: “There is one main issue that is central to the rest, and that is the issue of war and peace.” Her foreign policy positions can be unpredictable. They don’t necessarily break down on right/left lines.
