Tulsi Gabbard is seeking approval from the Indian-American community veterans for her 2020 presidential run, PTI reported.
According to the report, the 37-year lawmaker, the first native Hindu lawmaker, can make an announcement within weeks, close sources informed.
The report further noted that a group of Hindu-Americans has written an email last week to the top members of the community to express their thoughts on the chance of Gabbard running as the first Hindu president of the U.S. in 2020, discussing at length about the great impact it can have for the vast Hindu community in the country and elsewhere.
Last month, at a Medtronic conference in Los Angeles on Nov 9, an Indian-origin member of the Republican Party, Dr. Sampat Shivangi introduced Gabbard and said that she could become the next President of the U.S. in 2020. This brief was followed by a standing ovation.
Citing from the email, PTI also reported that a conference call can happen on Dec. 2 where a group of community members will share their thoughts with the lawmaker who is in “listening mode.”
Along with the communication, the group will also talk about the potential fund-raising from the community for the campaign.
It’s also being reported that Kamala Harris, who is half-Indian, too can make a bid for the presidency in 2020, which will make it tough for the community to choose between the two.
Gabbard, a popular Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii, won for the fourth time in the recently concluded midterm election for the House of Representatives. A recent Politico report suggested that her one of her adviser Rania Batrice is reaching out for staff positions. The report further suggested that “a source with direct knowledge of her deliberations” informed the publication about Gabbard considering a run for the presidency on the Democratic ticket in 2020.
Gabbard, though not an Indian, turned to Hinduism very early in her life and has lived her life believing in the principles.
Gabbard is both the first American Samoan and the first Hindu to be elected to the U.S. House. However, she came into limelight later when she resigned from the position of vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and then publicly endorsed Bernie Sanders for president over Hillary Clinton.