Tulsi Gabbard
Tulsi Gabbard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 2nd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Mazie Hirono |
| Member of the Honolulu City Council from the 6th District | |
| In office January 2, 2011 – August 16, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Rod Tam |
| Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from the 42nd district | |
| In office 2002–2004 | |
| Preceded by | Mark Moses |
| Succeeded by | Rida Cabanilla |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 12, 1981 Leloaloa, American Samoa |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Honolulu |
| Awards |  Meritorious Service Medal Army Commendation Medal Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster Army Good Conduct Medal Combat Medical Badge German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency in Gold |
| Website | votetulsi.com |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  Army National Guard |
| Rank |  Captain |
Tulsi Gabbard (born April 12, 1981) is the Democratic winner of the 2012 United States House of Representatives election in Hawaii's 2nd congressional district.[2] She will be the first Hindu member of the United States Congress. At the time of her primary victory on August 11, 2012, Gabbard was a member of the Honolulu City Council. She subsequently resigned her seat on the City Council, stating that she wanted to prevent the cost of a separate special election.[3]
Gabbard previously served as Hawaii's youngest state representative, elected in 2002, and was the youngest woman in the United States to be elected to a state legislature. She is currently a Company Commander with the Hawaii Army National Guard, and has volunteered to serve on two deployments to the Middle East. She is also vice-president and co-founder of the environmental non-profit organization Healthy Hawaii Coalition.
Childhood and education
Tulsi Gabbard was born in Leloaloa, American Samoa, the fourth of five children of Mike Gabbard, (educator, tennis pro, business owner and current 19th District Hawaii State Senator) and Carol Porter Gabbard (educator and business owner). In 1983, the family moved to Hawaii, where Tulsi grew up. Tulsi was homeschooled through High school, with the exception of two years spent at an all-girls missionary academy in the Philippines. She graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with a degree in international business.[4] Gabbard is a Hindu,and follows Gaudiya Vaishnavism.[1][5] Her mother embraced Hinduism when Tulsi was a teenager and gave her children Hindu names and raised them as vegetarians.[6][7]
Political and military career
In 2002, at the age of 21, Gabbard became the youngest legislator ever elected in the history of Hawaii, and the youngest woman ever elected to state office in the nation.[8] As State Representative for the Oahu 42nd District (which covers Waipahu, Honouliuli and Ewa Beach), she served on the Education, Higher Education, Tourism and Economic Development committees. She played a key role, along with her Ewa colleagues, in securing funding for infrastructure on the Ewa Plains.[9]
In April 2003, while serving in office, Gabbard enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard.[10] She received several distinguished honor graduate titles and awards at Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training.
In July 2004, Gabbard gave up her seat in office to deploy with her Hawaii National Guard unit, volunteering for a 12-month combat tour in Iraq, where she served in a field medical unit. She was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal at the end of this tour.[citation needed]
Upon her return from Iraq in 2006, Gabbard began serving as a legislative aide for U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka in Washington, DC. She was responsible for issues involving veteran affairs, energy and natural resources, judiciary, and homeland security. She served as a surrogate speaker for Senator Akaka on many occasions, and built a grassroots network with the veteran community in Hawaii.
While working for the Senator, Gabbard graduated from the Accelerated Officer Candidate School at the Alabama Military Academy in March 2007. She made history as the first female to finish as the distinguished honor graduate in the Academy’s 50-year history.[11] She was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and assigned to the 29th Brigade Special Troops Battalion of the Hawaii Army National Guard to serve as the Military Police Platoon Leader.
She continued to work for Senator Akaka until 2009 when she again voluntarily deployed with her unit to the Middle East. During this second deployment, in addition to leading her platoon on a wide variety of security missions, she also conducted non-military host-nation visits and served as a primary trainer for the Kuwait National Guard. She was one of the first females to set foot inside a Kuwait military facility, and became the first female ever to be awarded and honored by the Kuwait National Guard for her work in their training and readiness program.
Honolulu City Council Tenure
After returning home from her second deployment to the Middle East in 2009, Tulsi ran for a seat on the Honolulu City Council and was elected to that office on November 3, 2010. She served as Chair of the Safety, Economic Development, and Government Affairs committee, as Vice Chair of the Budget committee and was a member of the Zoning and Public Works committee. In her capacity as committee chair, Tulsi took the lead on many important issues such as medical waste, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), dengue fever, and creating new economic opportunities through Honolulu’s first Sister City Summit. Gabbard resigned her council seat August 16, 2012 to focus on her congressional seat bid.
2012 Congressional campaign
In May 2011, Gabbard announced her candidacy for U.S. Representative in Hawaii's 2nd congressional district since the incumbent Congresswoman, Mazie Hirono, was running for a U.S. Senate seat.[12] Gabbard was endorsed by Emily's List[13] and VoteVets.org.[14] Gabbard won the primary election on August 11, 2012. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser described her win as the "improbable rise from a distant underdog to victory".[2]
Non-profit organizations and associations
Gabbard co-founded Healthy Hawaii Coalition, an environmental educational group of which she is Vice President and Educational Programs Coordinator. She is a lifetime member of the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) and the Military Police Regimental Association.
References
- ^ a b Hindu-American Tulsi Gabbard wins Democratic primary in Hawaii Economic Times - August 12, 2012
- ^ a b "Tulsi Gabbard wins seat in Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District". Pacific Business News. November 07, 2012. Retrieved November 07, 2012.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ http://votetulsi.com/news/2012-08/tulsi-gabbard-resigns-open-seat-generates-interest
- ^ Tulsi for Hawaii (1 Jan 2012). "The Unique, Historic, and Inspiring Life of Tulsi Gabbard". Tulsi for hawaii. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
- ^ Sacirbey, Omar (2 November 2012). "Tulsi Gabbard, Hawaii Democrat, Poised To Be Elected First Hindu In Congress". Huffington Post. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ^ Bolante, Ronna (August 2004). "Who is Mike Gabbard?". Honolulu Magazine. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ^ "Tulsi Gabbard's Run for Congress Carries with it Many Hindu Hearts". India American news. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ^ Blake, Aaron; Sullivan, Sean (7 September 2012). "The 10 Biggest Surprises of the Conventions". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ^ http://www.civilbeat.com/topics/tulsi-gabbard/
- ^ Espanol, Zenaida Serrano (20 April 2003). "State legislator 'honored' to serve country". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
- ^ "Akaka Staffer Graduates Army Officer Training at the Top of Class". Retrieved 31 July 2010.
- ^ "Tulsi Gabbard announces candidacy for U.S. Congress". Retrieved 27 May 2010.
- ^ Tulsi Gabbard, Emily's List
- ^ VoteVets.org PAC Endorses Tulsi Gabbard for Congress, VoteVets.org, January 23, 2012
External links
- Tulsi Gabbard for U.S. Congress official website
- Healthy Hawaii Coalition (HHC)
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Legislator headed for Iraq wants to keep her House seat, Honolulu Star Bulletin, August 17, 2004
- Guard soldier Tamayo won't campaign, Honolulu Advertiser, August 30, 2004
- Aloha invades Iraq compound, Honolulu Advertiser, March 15, 2005
- Hawaii veteran a finalist for honor, Honolulu Advertiser, May 7, 2007
- Wecome Home Tulsi, Voice of Kapolei, September 30, 2009
- Legislative Assistant Honored, Hawaii News Now
- Hawaii Veteran Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo Runs for Honolulu City Council, Hawaii Reporter, July 6, 2010