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It is possible that, come Nov. 4, Hawaii could have a new governor, lieutenant governor and U.S. senator.

It will definitely have a new U.S. representative.

And perhaps a dozen or more familiar faces in the Hawaii Legislature will be gone, replaced by many fresh faces.

The mission of the Democratic Party of Hawaii is to ensure that all of them will be from one party.

Party Chairman Dante Carpenter told delegates at the Sheraton Waikiki Saturday that Democrats are committed to keeping the Hawaii Republican Party “in its place” and to keep the new Hawaii Independent Party “on its starting blocks.”

“The ball is in our court,” said Carpenter.

That it is. The challenge for Democrats, though, is that there are a lot of people fighting for the ball.

Using another metaphor, Carpenter said that the death of U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye and retirement of U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka had “stirred a hornet’s nest” of activity within the party.

On Saturday, many of the candidates were out in force, handing out campaign material and buttons, manning booths and working the crowd. State Senate District 23 candidate Gil Riviere placed complimentary chocolates on the dozens of delegate tables that filled the Sheraton ballroom.

Supporters of David Ige, the state senator challenging Gov. Neil Abercrombie, cornered the area at the top of the escalators leading to the ballroom. Wearing blue T-shirts and holding signs, they showed that the underdog Ige is making his presence known to voters.

In his formal remarks before delegates Abercrombie reiterated his argument that his administration had turned the state’s economic situation around. If re-elected, he said, early childhood education will be his No. 1 priority.

The governor also spoke at length about Eric Shinseki, the embattled secretary of Veterans Affairs. In defending Shinseki, Abercrombie said the Kauai native and retired Army general embodied the “sense of duty, quiet endurance and perseverance” that are part of Hawaii’s values.

“Four more years! Four more years!” the governor’s many supporters at the Sheraton chanted.

‘The Future Is In the Past’

Many of the convention speakers looked back 60 years to the 1954 territorial elections, known among the party as “the revolution.” That’s when, as Carpenter put it, ethnic minorities and organized labor “crushed” the Republican oligarchy.

Accordingly, he said, the theme of the 2014 Democratic Party convention is “The future is in the past.”

U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa said the party’s commitment to fair wages, workers rights, social equality and building a middle class can be directly traced back to 1954. To Hanabusa, the party’s core values are family, respect, hard work, equality and kindness. Hanabusa’s priorities include making pay equality a reality.

“It is insulting and absurd women do not earn what men do,” she said, adding, “Sorry, guys.”

Hanabusa’s primary opponent, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, also placed helping the middle class and increasing pay for women at the forefront of his priorities. He also wants to make college more affordable and to expand Social Security.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz told Democrats that Social Security must be protected.

PF Bentley/Civil Beat

“Social Security is the most successful anti-poverty program in American history, and we have got to protect it,” he said.

Schatz acknowledged that his race against Hanabusa “is going to be a tough one for a lot of people.” But the senator expressed confidence that the debate would be healthy and make his party stronger.

“It is insulting and absurd women do not earn what men do,” said Colleen Hanabusa. “Sorry, guys.”

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard reminded party members that as a freshman in the GOP-controlled House, she had accomplished something rare: getting a bill passed, in this case, one helping wounded veterans through airport screening processes. In spite of the “doom and gloom” in Washington, D.C., Gabbard said there are “undercurrents of hope” that inspire people to keep working in pubic service.

The filing deadline to run for office is June 3. Only one Democrat, Philmund Lee, has pulled papers to run against Gabbard in the primary. Two Republicans and a Libertarian candidate have filed their candidacies for the 2nd Congressional District seat.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, who is not up for re-election until 2018, also spoke at the biennial convention — her 21st.

Revised ‘Meet and Greet’

Complaints about allowing only top elected Democrats to formally address delegates led to a compromise arrangement whereby other candidates would be allowed to participate in a “meet and greet” luncheon.

It was to be held at the Royal Hawaiian’s Coconut Grove next to the Sheraton, but inclement weather forced Democrats to move the meet and greet into the Sheraton ballroom.

That helped heal the bruised feelings of the six candidates for the Hawaii 1st Congressional District seat who were not given convention roles. But it was also a little awkward. That gathering began as hungry delegates got in line for lunch, so the first round of candidates did not have everyone’s attention during their respective three minutes at the podium.

“Social Security is the most successful anti-poverty program in American history, and we have got to protect it,” said Brian Schatz said.

But the six CD1 Democrats — state Sen. Will Espero, state Rep. Mark Takai, activist Kathryn Xian and Honolulu City Councilmen Ikaika Anderson, Joey Manahan and Stanley Chang — got to make their campaign pitches. Most repeated the stump speeches they made at the Oahu County Democrats convention three weeks ago.

Senate President Donna Mercado Kim, the seventh Democrat running in CD1, also spoke during the meet and greet, though she has a formal speaking slot Sunday. The same goes for the congressional delegates, Ige and state Sen. Clayton Hee, a candidate for lieutenant governor who will speak Sunday too.

In that regard, these candidates effectively got to speak twice to delegates. Not to be left out, Abercrombie himself spoke during the meet and greet, delivering a fiery speech that condemned Republican efforts to loosen restrictions on campaign contributions and that underscored the governor’s commitment to preschool, a higher minimum wage and preserving Turtle Bay.

“We have the right values, the right priorities!” he exclaimed. “And I can guarantee that you have the right governor!”

Later, a parade of state House and Senate candidates and even one or two for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a nonpartisan office, took to the podium.

Gary Gill, a Democrat who works at the state Department of Health, monitored the meet and greet. He said Democrats should “celebrate” the fact that they have so many candidates.

“If the other party gave three minutes to all candidates, we’d be pau already,” he joked.

What Democrats Stand For

In other convention business Saturday, Democrats approved changes to .

They included adding language regarding global warming (“climate change is a real threat to our islands and the world”), renewable energy (“electric utility companies and cooperatives must open the grid to alternative power sources including solar panels and geothermal energy”), government and political reform (“we do not believe that money equals speech or that corporations are people for purposes of First Amendment protections”) and Native Hawaiians (“we support Native Hawaiian rights to self-determination in the formation of their chosen governmental entity”).

Democrats also accepted a platform amendment finding that family reunification “is not always in the best interest of foster children.” But they rejected another proposed amendment on labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms.

Lobbyist John Radcliffe and Department of Agriculture Director Scott Enright, both Democrats, opposed the GMO platform addition. So did delegate Alicia Maluafiti, a former lobbyist for the Hawaii seed industry.

“Bottom line, these types of mandated food labeling practices are going to increase the cost of food,” said Maluafiti. “You can eat organic and buy non-GMO-label food. (But) don’t force your lifestyle choice on us.”

Democrats also approved , many dealing with education.

They include asking the state Department of Education to “reconsider” adoption of Common Core standards and asking the DOE and the Board of Education to utilize only “objective research and validated evaluation tools” when reviewing teacher performance.

Still under consideration is a resolution urging the return of an elected, rather than appointed, school board. Finally, in recognition of its fundamental roots in organized labor, the party is also considering a resolution against mandating a “last, best and final offer” during collective bargaining negotiations with the public sector unions.