A former Democratic governor of Hawaii on Monday called on presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard to immediately resign from her seat in Congress so the state can hold a special election to replace her.
Neil Abercrombie, who led the state from 2010 to 2014, personally phoned Gabbard, who isn’t seeking reelection, before he went public with his call for her resignation at a news conference in Hawaii. His biggest complaint is that as she runs for president, she’s been largely absent from Congress.
“I’ve left a detailed message for her as to what I was thinking, what I was doing and what I hoped she would do,” Abercrombie told POLITICO in a phone interview following his announcement. “I’m sure she pays attention to her voicemail.”
Abercrombie, a former longtime House member, said his decision comes from his experience as an ex-special election candidate and a gubernatorial candidate who himself resigned from Congress.
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