Tulsi Gabbard Exits Presidential Race, Endorses Joe Biden

After failing to find any meaningful support in the state of New Hampshire, where Tulsi Gabbard relocated to for over a month, the end was inevitable for the Hawaii Representative’s presidential campaign. Gabbard decided to stick around in the presidential race after announcing she would not seek reelection to her position representing the 2nd Congressional District of Hawaii, leaving her without a congressional campaign to run.

At the time, some speculated that Gabbard’s decision to retire her post in Congress signaled a chance she could launch an independent bid for the presidency, but it looks like she’s joining the Biden train.

The Boston Globe offers a report on Gabbard’s departure:

Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is suspending her presidential campaign, ending a long-shot effort that saw her feuding with Hillary Clinton and raising fears among Democrats that she would mount a third-party 2020 bid.

She’s offering her full support to former Vice President Joe Biden. She made the announcement by email on Thursday.

During her candidacy, Gabbard appeared often on Fox News and angered fellow Democrats by voting “present” on the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. In October, she announced she wouldn’t be seeking reelection to her congressional seat, instead focusing on her presidential bid.

Gabbard attracted a sizable following in New Hampshire, where she frequently campaigned ahead of the state’s February primary. Some past supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the state warmed to her campaign over time, and she espoused a similar outsider approach to Sanders’ 2016 run, which Gabbard supported.

Here is Gabbard’s announcement from Twitter posted on Thursday morning:

It’s not too surprising that Gabbard has thrown in with Biden, but I guess this means the ever-unlikely Trump-Tulsi ticket won’t be happening.

Could Gabbard be on the VP list for Biden, if he becomes the nominee? Doubtful, she’s never been one to toe the line for the party establishment despite her endorsement. She has demonstrated the ability to make a great attack dog, an important VP quality, given how well she took down Sen. Kamala Harris in the early debates last year.

The list of major Democratic candidates is now, finally, down to just two names.


Nate Ashworth

The Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Election Central. He's been blogging elections and politics for over a decade. He started covering the 2008 Presidential Election which turned into a full-time political blog in 2012 and 2016 that continues today.

Email Updates

Want the latest Election Central news delivered to your inbox?

Leave a Comment