Tulsi Gabbard considering to run for US presidency in 2020?
Tulsi Gabbard, the Congresswoman from Hawaii and the first Hindu lawmaker in the US Congress, is considering to run for the American presidency in 2020. On November 9, at a Medtronic conference in Los Angeles, an eminent Indian-American, Dr. Sampat Shivangi, said that Gabbard, 37, could be the next President of the US in 2020. The brief statement was marked by a standing ovation.
Gabbard, a Democrat, however, neither confirmed nor denied Shivangi's statement. A decision on this could be taken before Christmas, which might not necessarily result in a formal announcement, sources said. However, it's said that she and her team have quietly been reaching out to prospective donors, including a large number of Indian-Americans, to build an impressive campaign for her 2020 run.
Given that Gabbard is highly popular among Indian-Americans, a constituency she has nurtured from the very beginning of her political career, it is but natural that her team has quietly started reaching out to this community, which is considered as the richest ethnic group after the Jewish Americans. And in many critical States, Indian-Americans can play an important role in her electoral chances.
Gabbard recently visited Iowa, where locals urged her to run for president, according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She keynoted a progressive gathering in New Hampshire in September. And she's writing a book due out this spring titled, 'Is Today the Day?: Not Another Political Memoir'. Also, last week, she was elected for the fourth term for the US House of Representatives.
If Gabbard declares her presidential bid she'd be the first Hindu candidate ever from a major political party to announce to enter the race for White House. And if elected in 2020, she could be the youngest-ever and first woman to be the US President.
Interestingly, Gabbard, the four-term Congresswoman, was the first US lawmaker to take her oath on Bhagwat Gita. Gabbard currently serves on powerful House Armed Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee. "She has been a fresh voice in the Democratic Party, with her support for US-India relations, her opposition to the war in Iraq, her opposition to arms sales to Saudi Arabia," Shivangi said.
The 2020 presidential primary cycle is scheduled to start from the Iowa Caucuses on February 3, 2020, followed by the New Hampshire Primary on February 11, Nevada caucus on February 15, and South Carolina on February 22. President Donald Trump is all set to seek his re-election in 2020, however, none of the Democratic candidates have announced their bid yet.
The Democratic race is expected to be crowded by the summer of 2019. Among those Democrats speculated to run for the 2020 primaries include former Vice President Joe Biden, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar, Tim Kaine, and Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris.
