Hawaii: VoteVets on Air for Tulsi Gabbard
By Kyle Trygstad
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Roll Call
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View story in the original context
PUBLISHED: May 16, 2012
A liberal veterans group is going on the air in Hawaii to support Honolulu City Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard in the open 2nd district.
VoteVets.org, the largest progressive organization of veterans in the country, spent $75,000 to air the ad for 10 days on broadcast television and plans to spend more as the Aug. 11 primary approaches. The ad features several Iraq War veterans describing Gabbard's biography, which includes military service and public office.
"You could call her a hero for enlisting in the Hawaii Guard after 9/11, but we call her Tulsi," veteran Greg White says in the ad. "You could call her a patriot for giving up her seat in the Legislature to serve two tours in Iraq and Kuwait, but we call her Tulsi," veteran Ron Haskell says in the ad.
Several Democrats are vying for the nomination in the safe Democratic district of Rep. Mazie Hirono (D), who is running for Senate. Gabbard and former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann are the leading candidates, along with longtime Congressional aide Esther Kiaaina and former state Rep. Bob Marx.
Paid for VoteVets Political Action Committee. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. VoteVets Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization which primarily focuses on nonpartisan education and advocacy on behalf veterans and their families. VoteVets Political Action Committee is a federal political committee which primarily helps elect Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran candidates and educates about veterans and military issues aimed at influencing the outcome of the next election.