Kaua‘i Republicans face an uphill battle again this election year, but devoted local party members said yesterday that they have set goals to return the heavily Democratic state to a balanced two-party system. The political tides started turning in 2002
Kaua‘i Republicans face an uphill battle again this election year, but devoted local party members said yesterday that they have set goals to return the heavily Democratic state to a balanced two-party system.
The political tides started turning in 2002 when voters elected Linda Lingle as Hawai‘i’s first Republican governor in four decades, Kaua‘i GOP District 15 Chair Ron Holte said.
“The new beginning finally arrived on Kaua‘i,” the Kapa‘a resident said. “Any Republican can win depending on their personality and the circumstances.”
The momentum should help the party win seats from the Democrats, who dominate the state Legislature, Holte said.
Republicans currently fill seven seats in the House and four seats in the Senate. None represent Kaua‘i.
Despite the stacked deck, Lihu‘e resident Ron Agor said he stays motivated based on the success he sees coming from the state’s Republican leadership.
Agor, who is one of the island’s most senior active Republicans, said the challenge will continue for the party to move forward.
He recalled voting on the party’s platform at the 2002 Republican Convention.
“Ideas like transparency and integrity in government, doing away with cronyism and favoritism so every citizen can expect equal opportunities, and freeing government from corruption, to name a few, were adopted,” he said. “Seeing these ideas of our platform come to fruition because of the work of our governor and just a handful of elected Republican legislators is very motivating. To add to that, seeing some of the younger Democrats pick up on these ideas is really gratifying.”
The Republican state convention is next month, and the Kaua‘i Republican Party is actively seeking candidates for the Nov. 4 election.
“Incumbents become their best when they are challenged with new ideas and kept in check by their opponents,” he said. “That is the basic fundamental importance of a two or more party system in the state. Whoever is in office will be compelled to be at the top of their game or face the possibility of losing to a challenger.”
Holte said that although there are only hundreds of registered GOP voters here, thousands cast ballots to re-elect Lingle in 2006.
On the national level, he added, there is usually a change in the political attitude of voters every 36 years.
“It looks like that’s what’s happened here,” he speculated.
Holte said equal press has been an issue the party has had to fight.
“Our goal is for the election on Nov. 4 to take place in an environment of free speech and press so that both candidates and voters can freely express their views,” he said.
Agor said he has two personal goals related to the future of the party in Hawai‘i.
The first, he said, is to elect Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona as governor in 2010.
“It is imperative that we maintain the good checks and balances in government with a Republican administration, especially with a Democrat-controlled Legislature,” Agor said.
His second goal is to find Kaua‘i a mayoral candidate for the 2010 election.
There are two clear routes, he said. The first is to maintain the status quo, which has the unintended consequence of regressing economically.
“If we stay on this course, Kaua‘i will permanently become a place for only the rich and the poor,” Agor said.
The second choice is to move Kaua‘i forward by accepting that the island will grow in population and planning properly for such growth, he added.
“This can be done and still maintain a balance between our man-made environment and our natural environment,” he said.
For more information, visit www.gopkauai.com.
• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com
