It's not even January 15th yet, but Democratic women are stepping up and declaring their intentions. Today's announcement comes from Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who announces her intention to run for the 2020 Democratic nomination.
"I have decided to run and will be making a formal announcement within the next week," the Hawaii Democrat told CNN's Van Jones during an interview slated to air at 7 p.m. Saturday on CNN's "The Van Jones Show."
Gabbard, an Iraq War veteran, currently serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She is the first American Samoan and the first Hindu member of Congress.
"There are a lot of reasons for me to make this decision. There are a lot of challenges that are facing the American people that I'm concerned about and that I want to help solve," she said, listing health care access, criminal justice reform and climate change as key platform issues.
"There is one main issue that is central to the rest, and that is the issue of war and peace," Gabbard added. "I look forward to being able to get into this and to talk about it in depth when we make our announcement."
Gabbard has some hurdles to overcome, including her defense of Bashar al-Assad (and her meeting with him), her confusing foreign policy views, and her anti-LGBTQ positions which have been papered over to an extent since she was first elected. friend to dictator Bashar al-Assad, historically anti-LGBTQ, and more.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is also expected to make an announcement in the days to come.
Meanwhile, Senator Kamala Harris is expected to make an announcement soon as well, scheduling a visit to South Carolina in advance of any formal announcement.
Rumor has it that Senator Sherrod Brown is paying a visit to Iowa and could be a top contender, while Beto O'Rourke has embarked on a national listening tour.
One thing is for sure: There will be no shortage of Democrats, and no shortage of opportunities to hear what Democrats have to say about just about anything. It's about time we had a turn to grab the spotlight and turn some attention toward actual, you know, policy.
