Hindu Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard in 2020 Presidential race |
NEW YORK – The race for the U.S. presidency in next year`s election is likely to see a Hindu representative and a senator of part Indian American descent vying for the Democratic Party`s nomination. Tulsi Gabbard, 37, the first Hindu elected to the U.S. Congress, announced Jan. 11 that she will be running for president. Kamala Harris, 54, who is of Indian and African-Jamaican descent and is identified as a member of the Christian Baptist sect, is expected to announce her candidature for the Democratic Party nomination next week, according to several news reports quoting sources close to her. Adding to the mix, there is speculation that Nikki Haley, who quit as U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN at the end of last year, may seek the Republican Party nomination in the event that President Donald Trump is not up for re-election next year. The former South Carolina governor was the first Indian American to be a member of the U.S. cabinet and has received some Republican Party grassroots support for a 2024 run. Gabbard is not of Indian descent but comes from a Hindu family in Hawaii and took her oath office on the Bhagavad Gita when she was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2011 and after her three re-elections.
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