Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has refused to say whether she’ll seek a fifth term representing Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District if her quixotic presidential bid fails, and a new survey from the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling finds that she could be in for a very rough homecoming if she does.
The survey, which was not done for a client, gives Gabbard a 48-26 lead against state Sen. Kai Kahele in the August Democratic primary for this safely blue seat. That’s a wide lead, but it’s not a strong showing for a well-known incumbent this far from Election Day, especially since Kahele likely will have room to grow once he becomes better known.
Gabbard, by contrast, has just a 44-34 approval rating with primary voters, so she may struggle to expand her support. Voters also say they’d prefer to nominate “someone else” over Gabbard by a 50-38 margin.
For now, though, Gabbard seems content to keep seeking the White House, even though 60% of 2nd District primary voters think she should drop out, while only 28% want her to keep running. More time away from home is unlikely to help Gabbard solidify her support, especially since she has a well-established habit of alienating progressives.
Indeed, just last week Gabbard was one of the few House Democrats, and the only presidential candidate, who opposed opening an impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump. Even after the White House released its “memo” confirming that Trump urged Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the Bidens, Gabbard responded, “I’m not a lawyer, but I think most people reading through that transcript are not going to find that extremely compelling cause to throw out a president that won an election in 2016.” She continued, “Instead, what I think most people will see is, ‘Hey, this is another move by Democrats to get rid of Donald Trump,’ further deepening the already hyperpartisan divides that we have in this country.”
Two days later, Gabbard belatedly said she supported an impeachment inquiry “after looking carefully” at the “memo.” The congresswoman and her team did not say why she changed her mind after reading through the document again.
Let's send a real progressive to Congress. Please chip in $3 to support Kai Kahele today!