Campaign Corner: Hawaii’s New Crop Of Progressive Leaders
Real change may be on the horizon, so there’s no excuse not to vote.
One of the most common excuses I hear for why people don’t vote is because there is no one to vote for.
We are accustomed to seeing the same politicians who have been in the same office for years continue to run, without any real challengers. They get re-elected because their constituents are familiar with them even though many may have spent years in office without addressing key concerns of the people they are supposed to represent.
The good news is that change is on the horizon. There are viable new candidates this year who deserve our attention because they have demonstrated they care about the values held dear by their communities.
With an almost all-blue Legislature, we should have no problem passing common sense legislation based on strong democratic values. Some issues that are top of mind are paid family leave, truly affordable housing, $15 minimum wage, adequate funding for our schools and educators, and compassionate solutions for the houseless crisis.
People have been advocating for these issues for years, but too many career politicians have not been listening. It’s as if in this supposedly blue state, our legislators are afraid to be seen as too progressive.
I am the program manager for the , a five-month nonpartisan program created to be an incubator for people who want to enter the political arena but feel they don’t have the skill set in order to be effective at campaigning. Skills like public speaking, fundraising, basic knowledge of canvassing and fundamental understanding of government.
Kuleana Academy directly addresses that need among some high-potential candidates by providing in-depth training as well as curating a wide variety of speakers from throughout the political sphere to share their mana’o about what it takes to successfully run for public office.
We have graduated 50 participants over the last two years. This election year there are 17 Kuleana Academy graduates who are running for office across the state.
This is a group of candidates who deserve serious consideration as you think about where to cast your vote. Eight of them are first-time candidates. Many first-time candidates lose their first race. But that does not deter any of these highly motivated candidates. They are running to win, as evident from the work they put into canvassing their neighborhood, attending candidate forums and fundraising.Â
Nine of them have run before, six of them women, despite the fact that women are less inclined to run again after running (and losing) their first race. First-time candidates who lose their election by a margin of less than 10 percent are often successful on a second try for public office. Three of the Kuleana Academy graduates running lost by less than 10 percent in the last election — and they are going all-out to make up the difference this time.
Nine of them are running against established incumbents, despite the fact that incumbents have a significantly higher chance of winning their seat back. Incumbents have the benefit of name recognition and they have more access to financial resources. Incumbents are generally more likely to earn endorsements from organizations, despite not actually having done any advocacy for them.Â
Too many politicians in Hawaii have been overly beholden to special interests and have blocked much needed progress.
Many Kuleana Academy candidates, including some first-time candidates, have received endorsements — some even over the incumbent — from organizations such as HGEA, ILWU, IBEW, HSTA, Local 5, UPW and Sierra Club.Â
This crop of candidates includes lawyers, a scientist, a conservationist, a few teachers, a hospitality manager, a lifeguard, some legislative aides and small business owners. Many of them wear multiple hats as community organizers, volunteers, activists and advocates. As a group they have fundraised over $142,000, knocked on over 60,000 doors, and spent over 2,000 hours sign waving.
Most importantly, these candidates represent their communities, and their campaigns reflect the needs of those communities rather then the agendas of corporate and special interests. Too many politicians in Hawaii have been overly beholden to special interests and have blocked much-needed progress.
The new crop of leaders coming out of Kuleana Academy are giving voters a choice. Lack of options can no longer be an excuse not to vote. So, let’s be sure to go to the polls — with a friend, a neighbor, a colleague. Hawaii needs to vote.
Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action Kuleana Academy graduates running for office in 2018 include:
- State Senate District 4
- State Senate District 6
- State Senate District 7
- State House District 2
- State House District 11
- State House District 12
- State House District 23
- State House District 46
- State House District 48
- State House District 49
- Maui County Council Molokai
- Maui County Council Westside
- Maui County Council Upcountry
- Maui County Council Hana
- Maui County Council Lanai
- Kauai County Council
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Every campaign season we get tons of emails and commentary from people supporting or opposing particular candidates. Campaign Corner is a forum for healthy — and civil — discussion of candidates and their issues. Endorsements and criticisms are part of a voter’s decision-making process. Here are the ground rules: The column must be written by an identifiable person and accompanied by a current head shot and brief bio. The commentary must be original and not published elsewhere. No campaign email blasts. No letter-writing campaigns. Send columns and questions to news@civilbeat.org. The opinions and information expressed in Campaign Corner are solely those of the authors and not Civil Beat.
