section_path: Early political career/Hawaii House of Representatives (2002–2004)
section_name: Hawaii House of Representatives (2002–2004)
paragraph_text: Hawaii House of Representatives (2002–2004)
  
  In 2002, after redistricting, Gabbard won the four-candidate Democratic primary for the 42nd district of the Hawaii House of Representatives with a plurality of 43% of the vote. Gabbard then won the general election with 60.7% of the vote, defeating Republican Alfonso Jimenez. At the age of 21, Gabbard became the youngest legislator ever elected in Hawaii's history, and was at the time the youngest woman ever elected to a U.S. state legislature.
  
  In 2004, Gabbard filed for reelection but then volunteered for Army National Guard service in Iraq. Rida Cabanilla, who filed to run against her, called on Gabbard to resign because she would not be able to effectively represent her district from Iraq. While she legally would have been allowed to hold her seat, a directive from the Defense Department issued in August 2004 would have forbidden her from voting on bills or fulfilling other duties of her elective office for the duration of her active duty deployment. Gabbard announced in August 2004 that she would not campaign for a second term, and Cabanilla won the Democratic primary with 58% of the vote. State law prevented the removal of Gabbard's name from the ballot.
  
  In 2002, after redistricting, Gabbard won the four-candidate Democratic primary for the 42nd district of the Hawaii House of Representatives with a plurality of 43% of the vote. Gabbard then won the general election with 60.7% of the vote, defeating Republican Alfonso Jimenez. At the age of 21, Gabbard became the youngest legislator ever elected in Hawaii's history, and was at the time the youngest woman ever elected to a U.S. state legislature.
  
  In 2004, Gabbard filed for reelection but then volunteered for Army National Guard service in Iraq. Rida Cabanilla, who filed to run against her, called on Gabbard to resign because she would not be able to effectively represent her district from Iraq. While she legally would have been allowed to hold her seat, a directive from the Defense Department issued in August 2004 would have forbidden her from voting on bills or fulfilling other duties of her elective office for the duration of her active duty deployment. Gabbard announced in August 2004 that she would not campaign for a second term, and Cabanilla won the Democratic primary with 58% of the vote. State law prevented the removal of Gabbard's name from the ballot.