Tulsi Gabbard won’t run for re-election for her House seat

Views from the Edge

Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard put all her eggs in one basket by declaring Thursday that she will not run for re-election for her House seat in order to concentrate on her campaign for president.

Via social media, the 38-year old Hawaii representative announced to her supporters that she will not be seeking reelection to her District 2 seat that she’s held since 2013.

Gabbard, who represents Hawaii, made the announcement in a video and email to supporters. “I believe that I can best serve the people of Hawaii and our country as your president and commander-in-chief,” Gabbard said in the video.

With Gabbard’s decision, that opens the door for District 2 challenger Kai Kahele, a Democrat and a Hawaii state senator. “I wholly respect and appreciate Congresswoman Gabbard’s decision not to pursue re-election for her Congressional seat as she pursues the Presidency,’ Kahele tweeted. “I wish her and her family the best going forward. I remain fully committed to my campaign to becomes Hawaii’s next Congressman.”

In the race for the White House, with 20 Democratic candidates still in the running, Gabbard remains near the bottom of the polls. The Hindu American’s campaign has failed to gain traction so far.

It was expected that the Samoan American would drop out of the presidential contest and return to campaigning for her House seat. Her declaration to stay in seems to indicate that she will continue to campaign all the way to the Democratic convention in the summer of 2020.

Last week, Gabbard began sparring with Clinton after the Democrats’ 2016 presidential nominee, suggested, without presenting any evidence, that the lawmaker was a Russian asset. Gabbard has denied the inference and has countered by calling Clinton the “queen of warmongers” and challenging her to enter the race.

The dispute with Clinton had the unexpected effect of apparently raising Gabbard’s profile. Her campaign began raising funds from Clinton’s accusation and her rating inched up in some polls.

“At this time when our country is so divided, and our world is moving ever closer to a nuclear holocaust; a time when we may be sucked into another even more disastrous war in the Middle East, and tensions with other nuclear powers are escalating, and with that, a new arms race and Cold War that can only end in nuclear catastrophe, I believe I can best serve the people of Hawaiʻi and our country as your President and Commander-in-Chief,” said Gabbard in her statement.

“As President, I will immediately begin work to end the new Cold War and nuclear arms race, end our interventionist foreign policy of carrying out regime change wars, and redirect our precious resources towards serving the needs of the people here at home,” she added.

“As such, I will not be seeking re-election to Congress in 2020, and humbly ask you for your support for my candidacy for President of the United States,” concluded Gabbard.

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