Hawaii Republican Party

The Hawaiʻi Republican Party is the state affiliate of the Republican Party of the United States. Based in Honolulu, the party is a central organization established for the promotion of the party platform as it is drafted in convention every other year. It is also charged with registering voters and delivering voter turnout through four major county organizations for Hawaiʻi, Kauaʻi, Maui and the City & County of Honolulu.

Missionary Conspiracy

Since the Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement there has been a conspiracy theory that the overthrow of the Hawaiians monarchy, annexation, and half a century of Republican and plantation rule by decedents of the ABCFM missionaries was the intent of the original missionaries.^[1] The so-called Missionary Conspiracy claims that the original missionaries intended for their offspring to ultimately rule Hawaii. This is generally rejected, instead opportunities and different generations resulted in these events. This false interpretation of the Missionary Party is still perpetuated in cynical phrases as “They came to do good, and did well.” and “The Missionaries came with the Bible, and the Hawaiians owned the land. When the Missionaries were finished, the Hawaiians owned the Bible and the Missionaries owned the land.”^[2]

Political positions

American conservatism

American conservatism was carried over to the Party from the ABCFM missionaries, a few issues continue to the present party such as support for democracy, stop and preventing drug and alcohol abuse, and opposition to gambling in the islands. As compared with the national Republican Party, Republicans in Hawaiʻi who hold elective office tend to be moderate]s. On social issues such as abortion, they tend to be somewhat less conservative than the national party as a whole. For example, Republican Governor Linda Lingle is pro-choice, but favors parental notification. In large part from HB 444 the party has taken a populist stance in that social issues should be based on public opinion, while opponents have argued that populist policies would lead to exclusion and discrimination toward minority groups.

Economics

As a whole, they advocate limited government, lower taxes, decentralized control of public schools, and improving Hawaiʻi's business climate.^[3] Republican has been supportive of big business plans and commitments to allow companies in Hawaii to rival and compete against large businesses in other states. Republican have also been supportive of interstate and international commerce, such as Lieutenant Governor James "Duke" Aiona has been a strong proponent of keeping the National Football League’s Pro Bowl in Hawaii. Governor Linda Lingle has proposed tax reduction incentives to businesses to hire and encourage work, such as hotel renovations.

Environment

Reform Party member Lorrin Thurston was a strong supporter of the formation of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Governor Lingle has proposed a Clean Energy Initiative to encourage and promote clean and renewable energy reasorces. The goal of the Initiative is to make Hawaii 70% energy self-sustainable by 2030. The indicative uses solar, wind, ocean, geothermal, and biomass as energy resources.

Religion

Despite the influence of the early missionaries, and despite recent national trends, the party steadily lost its Christian overtone over time. After annexation Christians proselytized to new coming immigrants contracted to work on Hawaii’s growing sugar industry. This was in large part brought on by Farrington v. Tokushige (1927), a Supreme Court case brought by approximately 100 Japanese, Korean, and Chinese language schools, a number of which were also Buddhist schools, against Governor Wallace R. Farrington (R) and the Republican government for passing laws limiting the material taught in private schools including Buddhist philosophy.^[4] The court found the laws unconstitutional and violating the “liberty” of the parents’ right to choose the education of their children.^[5][6] James Aiona, a Republican, presented a proclamation to the president of the Junior Young Buddhist Association in 2004^[7] and attended the 2010 lantern festival.^[8]

Recently, the Party has been hesitant to associate itself with religion in general, with members citing the negative effects of the party's association with the Hawaii Christian Coalition formed by Pat Robertson in 1988. The Coalition swelled Republican membership by 50% but at the expense of infighting and by 1993 the party had lost more legislative seats than it started with.^[9]

Finances

Under the leadership of Chairman Jonah Kaauwai and Executive Director Dylan Nonaka, the Hawaii Republican Party went from being one of the best funded republican political parties in the nation to being in the bottom five. The party has over $60,000 in debt and less than $40,000 Cash on Hand. Federal Election Commission

Staff

County Chairs

Elected oficials

State Senators

State Representatives

Councilmembers

See also

• Democratic Party of Hawaii

References

Bibliography

• Andrade Jr., Ernest (1996). Unconquerable Rebel: Robert W. Wilcox and Hawaiian Politics, 1880–1903. University Press of Colorado. ISBN 0-87081-417-6. 

• Chapin, Helen Geracimos (1996). Shaping history: the role of newspapers in Hawai'i. Shaping history: the role of newspapers in Hawai'i. 

• Kame’eleihiwa, Lilikala (1995). A synopsis of Traditional Hawaiian Culture, the Events Leading to the 1887 Bayonet Constitution and the Overthrow of the Hawaiian Government. (unpublished). 

• Laenui, Poka (1984). East Wind, Vol. III, No. 1. East Wind, Vol. III, No. 1. 

• Liliuokalani (1898). Hawaii's Story. Tothrop, Lee & Shepard Co.. 

External links

• Hawaiʻi Republican Party
• Hawaii Federation of College Republicans
• Oahu League of Republican Women