Tulsi Gabbard Announces Candidacy for Congress
HONOLULU [May 26, 2011] Honolulu City Councilwoman and Iraq war veteran Tulsi Gabbard today announced her candidacy for Hawai’i’s 2nd Congressional District. She made the announcement through a video message to supporters on her website,www.votetulsi.com.
“I have a sincere desire to be of service to all the people of Hawai’i, and I'm confident that I will serve you well. I have the experience, the energy, and the determination to fight for you, our beautiful Hawai’i, and our great country. I would be honored if you would allow me to serve you in Washington,” said Councilwoman Gabbard.
In 2002, at the age of 21, Gabbard became the youngest female state representative in U.S. history when elected to the Hawai’i State Legislature. In 2004, she volunteered to deploy to Iraq with the Hawai’i National Guard’s 29th Brigade Combat Team, where she served in a medical unit. She later deployed to the Middle East a second time. Tasked with a security mission, she served as a military police platoon leader, and assisted in training the Kuwait National Guard.
In between deployments, she served in the U.S. Senate for two years as a legislative aide to Senator Akaka, where she advised Akaka on issues relating to energy independence, homeland security, environment, and veteran affairs.
In announcing her congressional candidacy, Gabbard said, “I refuse to accept that our children’s future will be worse than past generations. The future of our children, our families, and our state and country depends upon a strong economy and good jobs. So in congress this will be one of my main priorities. Without a vibrant economy, we will not be able to pay for a strong national defense, environmental protection, education, social security, Medicare, or other social services.”
The full text of her video statement is included below:
Aloha, I'm Tulsi Gabbard and I'm offering to serve you in the United States Congress... Since I was a little kid, I began to appreciate the importance of aloha and serving others. Through my service in the US Senate with Senator Akaka, in the State Legislature, and now on the Honolulu City Council, I've always tried my best to be guided by this spirit of aloha. It was in that spirit that I joined the Hawai'i National Guard in 2003, and why I then volunteered to join my fellow guardsmen when they were deployed to Iraq. It is in the spirit of aloha that I'm now offering to represent Hawaii's second congressional district. While we may not always agree on every issue, I want to assure you that I will always respectfully listen to your concerns, and always keep an open mind. I have a sincere desire to be of service to all the people of Hawaii, and I'm confident that I will serve you well. I have the experience, the energy, and the determination to fight for you, our beautiful Hawaii, and our great country. I would be honored if you would allow me to serve you in Washington. I know I must earn your trust and your vote, and I promise you that I will spend every day putting you and your family first. With your help, we can make Hawaii and our country even better than it already is. Please join us, and sign up at www.votetulsi.com Mahalo.
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