Lots of folks were surprised by Gabbard’s announcement (including her dad)

State Sen. Mike Gabbard (Image: Hawaii News Now)
State Sen. Mike Gabbard (Image: Hawaii News Now)
Published: Jan. 11, 2019 at 5:39 PM HST
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been gearing up for a presidential run for months.

But her announcement Friday on CNN still caught many by surprise — including her dad.

State Sen. Mike Gabbard told Hawaii News Now that he was traveling and “pleasantly surprised” to see his daughter had announced her 2020 bid for the White House.

“I didn’t know she had made a final decision,” Gabbard said. “She has so much aloha for the people. She’ll make a great president!”

Mike Gabbard represents a district that covers Kapolei, Makakilo and portions of Ewa.

He’s served in Hawaii’s Senate since 2006, and previously served in the City Council.

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