Tulsi Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard served as the representative for Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District from 2013-2021, the first American Samoan Congresswoman and first practicing Hindu member of Congress. In February 2019, she announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States, the first female combat veteran to run for U.S. president. She suspended her presidential campaign on March 19, 2020.

Gabbard was born on April 12, 1981, in Leloaloa, American Samoa. She received a B.S.B.A. in business administration from Hawaii Pacific University in 2009. Her father, Mike Gabbard, has been a member of the Hawaii state Senate since 2006. As a teenager, Gabbard co-founded Healthy Hawaii Coalition (HHC), a non-profit grassroots organization whose mission is to protect the environment and improve individual and community health.

In 2002, Gabbard became the youngest person ever elected to the Hawaii state legislature, representing District 42 in West Oahu through 2004. In 2003, Gabbard enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard, completing her basic training between legislative sessions. In July 2004, she was deployed for a 12-month tour in Iraq. In 2007, she graduated from the Accelerated Officer Candidate School at Ft. McClellan, Alabama, where she was the first woman to finish as the distinguished honor graduate in the Academy's 50-year history. From 2007 to 2009, Gabbard served as a legislative aide to U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka. In 2009, she was deployed to Kuwait, training counterterrorism units. In 2010, she was elected to the Honolulu City Council, and in 2012, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She served as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2013-2016.

For information on Gabbard's policy subject areas, committee appointments and sponsored/co-sponsored legislation during her time in the U.S. House of Representatives, please visit her profile on https://www.congress.gov.

Sources:

CNN Editorial Research. (2020, Jan. 22). Tulsi Gabbard Fast Facts. Retrieved on Feb. 5, 2020 from https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/30/us/tulsi-gabbard-fast-facts/index.html.

GABBARD, Tulsi. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/G000571

Pak, N, Kaji, M., and Palaniappan, S. (2019, July 31). Tulsi Gabbard: Everything you need to know about the 2020 presidential candidate. ABC News. Retrieved on Feb. 5, 2020 from https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/meet-tulsi-gabbard-hindu-member-congress-2020-candidate/story?id=60708986.