Tulsi Gabbard Says She Will ‘Strongly Consider’ Run For President In 2020

Tulsi Gabbard could be ready to throw her hat in an increasingly crowded ring.

The Hawaii congresswoman said this weekend that she is “strongly considering” a run for the White House in 2020, part of what is shaping up to be a deep and unusually strong Democratic field looking to take on Donald Trump. Gabbard revealed her consideration to the Honolulu Civil Beat, saying that she is still in the exploration phase, but could be running.

She had recently made a visit to the key early voting state of New Hampshire, spending time to meet voters and build up some name recognition.

“I’ve been meeting with progressive leaders and activists who are doing the work that’s necessary on the ground to make the kind of change that we need to see across the country at the local level and the national level,” Gabbard said of her visit to New Hampshire. “I have just been inspired in each of the conversations that I’m having because this is where it happens.”

This was Gabbard’s second trip to New Hampshire and she has also made a visit to Iowa, the state that votes first in the Democratic Primary.

Gabbard gained a national stature in 2016 thanks mostly to her support of Senator Bernie Sanders in his run for president, and has already picked up on a number of his key platforms including instituting Medicare for All.

If she does choose to run for president, Tulsi Gabbard would likely have an uphill battle to win the Democratic nomination. After a relatively thin field in 2016, there are a number of Democrats reportedly considering a run, including Sanders himself and Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Cory Booker.

There are a number of newly emerged potential candidates as well, including soon-to-be former Congressman Beto O’Rourke, who nearly turned the state of Texas blue in a tight race against Ted Cruz. Many have called on O’Rourke to run for president, and he has indicated that he’s now considering it.

Many are expected to make their intentions clear in the coming weeks — like Harris, who said in an interview with MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski that she plans to make an official decision over the holidays — so they can begin building a campaign framework and fundraising.

Tulsi Gabbard For President? ‘I Am Seriously Considering It’ https://t.co/2J4QrKQpu0

— Honolulu Civil Beat (@CivilBeat) December 3, 2018

Tulsi Gabbard has not said when she might make an official decision on whether to run for president in 2020, but her frequent trips to Iowa and New Hampshire make it appear that she’s leaning toward running.