LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i Government Employees Association board of directors recently endorsed Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr. in his reelection bid, over Diana LaBedz, in the general election. The HGEA board in a press release also announced it is endorsing
LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i Government Employees Association board of directors recently endorsed Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr. in his reelection bid, over Diana LaBedz, in the general election.
The HGEA board in a press release also announced it is endorsing Democrats Neil Abercrombie and Brian Schatz for governor and lieutenant governor, respectively, and U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, D-Neighbor Islands-rural O‘ahu, in her bid for reelection.
In the Kaua‘i County Council race, the HGEA board endorsed incumbents Kaipo Asing, Tim Bynum, Jay Furfaro and Derek Kawakami, and challengers Nadine Nakamura and Mel Rapozo.
Ron Kouchi got the HGEA endorsement for the state Senate seat encompassing Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau, incumbent state Rep. Mina Morita, D-Kapa‘a-Hanalei, won the HGEA’s nod, as did newcomer Democrat Dee Morikawa in the state House district encompassing Po‘ipu to Mana including Ni‘ihau.
No candidate was endorsed in the state House district covering Wailua to Koloa now held by Democratic state Rep. Jimmy Tokioka. The union also endorsed U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawai‘i, in his reelection bid.
The union representing thousands of state and county workers on all the islands recommended no votes on both the proposed state constitutional amendments, the first proposing the governor be allowed to appoint members of the state Board of Education (who are now elected), and the second to allow members of the state Legislature to set aside general-fund revenues into special funds or provide taxpayer rebates in good economic times.
