Hawaii Republican Party

Progressivism

American Progressivism was carried over to the Republican Party in Hawaiʻi from the New England ABCFM missionaries. The party retains objectives such as support for democracy, stopping and preventing drug and alcohol abuse, and opposition to gambling. Compared to the national party, Republicans in Hawaiʻi who hold elective office tend to be moderates on social issues such as abortion. For example, former Republican Governor Linda Lingle is pro-choice but favors parental notification. In large part, since HB 444, the state party has taken a populist stance that responses to 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, Hawaiʻi Republicans advocate for limited government, lower taxes, decentralized control of public schools, and improving the state's business climate.^[1] Republicans have been supportive of big business plans and commitments to assist companies in the state in competing against large businesses in other states. They also usually support interstate and international commerce. For example, former Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona has been a strong proponent of keeping the National Football League's Pro Bowl in Hawaii, and former Governor Linda Lingle proposed tax reduction incentives to businesses to encourage creation of work opportunities, such as hotel renovations.

Environment

Measuring lava at Halema'uma'u, Kilauea, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in 1917. Left to right, Norton Twigg-Smith, Thomas Jaggar, Lorrin Thurston, Joe Monez, and Alex Lancaster.

In the Reform Party, a pre-statehood group that after annexation was largely sympathetic toward the Republican Party, Lorrin Thurston was a strong supporter of the formation of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. In the 21st century, Governor Lingle proposed a Clean Energy Initiative to promote clean and renewable energy resources, with the goal of making the state 70% energy self-sustainable by 2030. The initiative plans to use solar, wind, ocean, geothermal, and biomass as energy resources with a phased reduction in the use of fossil fuels.

Religion

Despite the influence of the early missionaries and despite recent national trends, the Republican party in Hawaiʻi steadily lost its Christian overtone over time. After annexation, Christians proselytized to new, incoming 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 religious schools, against Republican Governor Wallace R. Farrington and the Republican government for passing laws limiting the material taught in private schools, including Buddhist philosophy.^[2] The court found the laws unconstitutional and in violation of parents' Fifth Amendment right to choose the education of their children.^[3][4] Duke Aiona, a Republican, presented a proclamation to the president of the Junior Young Buddhist Association in 2004^[5] and attended the 2010 lantern festival.^[6]

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 branch of the Christian Coalition formed by Pat Robertson in 1988. The Coalition swelled Republican membership by 50%, but also gave rise to infighting; by 1993 the party had lost more legislative seats than it started with.^[7]

State Senators

The Hawaii Senate currently has no Republican members.

State Representatives

• Andria Tupola
• Bob McDermott
• Lauren Cheape
• Cynthia Thielen
• Gene Ward

Councilmembers