Tulsi Gabbard Is All-In On 2020 Presidency, Says She Will Not Seek Re-Election To Congress

By
Jordan Riddle
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WATCH: Tulsi Gabbard Slaps Clinton With A Stern Rebuttal

Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard is all-in on her White House bid and will not be seeking re-election to Congress in 2020.

In a series of tweets that included a video, Gabbard said she felt she could “best serve the people of Hawai’i and our country as President and Commander-in-Chief.”

“Today I’m officially announcing that I will not be seeking reelection to Congress in 2020. Throughout my life, I’ve always made my decisions based on where I felt I could do the most good. In light of the challenges we face,” the congresswoman tweeted.

“As president, I will immediately begin work to end the new cold war & nuclear arms race end our interventionist foreign policy of trying being the world’s police, toppling dictators and governments we don’t like, but instead redirect our precious resources towards serving the needs of the people here at home,” she added.

“I humbly ask for your support for my candidacy for President of the United States. Join me in ushering in a new Democratic Party that is of, by, and for the people,” Gabbard concluded. “Together, let’s bring integrity and the spirit of putting service before self to the White House, so that our White House can truly be a beacon of light, hope, and opportunity for all Americans.”

Politico reports:

Gabbard, who has represented Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District since 2013, handily defeated her Republican opponent in last year’s midterm elections by a margin of more than 50 percent.

But her path to winning a fifth term in 2020 was complicated by a formidable primary challenge from state Sen. Kai Kahele, as well as her thorny relationships with other Aloha State politicians.

A trio of former Hawaii governors have backed Kahele’s bid to unseat Gabbard, and she ignited a feud with Sen. Mazie Hirono after authoring an op-ed in January accusing Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee of “religious bigotry” in their questioning of a nominee for a district judgeship.

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According to the report, Gabbard’s announcement is likely to raise speculation that she is considering a third-party bid should she not received the Democratic nomination.

The Washington Examiner adds:

The Hawaii congresswoman restated last week that she would not run for president as an independent or third-party candidate and will support the Democratic presidential nominee. She has also said she plans to stay in the Democratic presidential race through the Democratic National Convention in July.

Gabbard has initiated fiery attacks on her primary competitors and major media outlets during Democratic presidential debates, but she has yet to qualify for the November round and lags far behind top-candidates in polls and fundraising.