Pacific Resource Partnership, a nonprofit organization that represents the state’s largest construction union, launches its second annual Partners for Democracy program today with a new group of 30 Hawaii residents focused on learning the basics of political campaigning, issues affecting public policy and community advocacy.

Five of 2022’s 28 graduates were elected to public office, including state Rep. Darius Kila (D, Honokai Hale-Nanakuli-Maili), who credits the PRP program and his fellow participants for inspiring his political career.

“I just wanted to learn,” Kila said. “The best thing about the program was to be able to go in with no expectations but come out with so much knowledge.”

A notable discussion from 2022’s session focused on Hawaii’s declining middle class, which Kila said “absolutely” influenced legislation he introduced during the 2023 session restricting the purchase of real property to Hawaii residents. The bill ultimately failed, but “the program allowed me to think outside the box in drafting legislation and policy.”

This year’s Partners for Democracy program will hold the first of nine monthly meetings at the Alohilani Resort in Waikiki. Over the course of the session, participants will engage in intensive workshops with a focus on media training and strategies for elevating messaging on issues they care about, according to the program’s director, Ian Terayama.

Participants also will hear from speakers such as political strategist Christine Pelosi, daughter of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, along with Gov. Josh Green, Kauai County Mayor Derek Kawakami and former Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell.

This year’s cohort features 11 women and 19 men from Hawaii island, Maui, Molokai and Oahu with backgrounds working in county, state and federal levels of government.

Mark Anthony Clemente is currently office manager for state Rep. Daniel Holt (D, Sand Island-Iwilei- Chinatown). A recent graduate of the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law, Clemente got his start working as a session staff member in 2017 for state Rep. Lauren Matsumoto (R, Mililani- Waipio Acres-Mililani Mauka).

“With several years of experience at the Capitol, I felt that it was time for me to expand my skills and knowledge,” he said. “I know what happens in the (Capitol) building, but how do we get here?”

That curiosity inspired him to apply for the Partners for Democracy program, he said.

Clemente, who lives in Waialua with his family and 5-month-old son, said he doesn’t see himself running for office anytime soon, but hopes the program will provide him with a network of contacts and knowledge for the future.

He said he’s going into the program with a focus on affordable housing, land use laws and the construction industry, as “it provides thousands of high-paying jobs for local people.”

PRP represents more than 6,000 members of the construction industry and approximately 240 general contractors statewide. While the program is fundamentally rooted in the idea of uplifting local leadership and providing guidance for future endeavors, “it’s not a charity,” said Colin Moore, a UH political scientist.

He called the PRP training program a “sophisticated operation.”

“I don’t think there’s any direct expectation, but PRP is running this because they want to elect politicians who are sympathetic to their goals, which is fundamentally construction,” Moore said. “It benefits both groups, but I think they’re running this because they want to get attractive candidates who largely align with their position. … It’s a little bit of a different strategy than giving campaign donations, because you’re directly trying to recruit candidates who you think will be good. You intervene in the process one step earlier.”

Kyle Chock, PRP’s interim executive director, disagreed and said that an interest in PRP, the construction industry or Hawaii labor unions plays no role in who is selected for the training.

“I think that would be the absolute wrong premise to build a future generation of leaders that we want to have contributing to Hawaii, that we would force them to agree with whatever point or opinion we have,” Chock said. “That’s not what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Clemente said he would not have wanted to be part of the program if an agenda was being pushed. The Hono­lulu Star-Advertiser interviewed Clemente and Chock together, which represented the first time they had met in person, they said.

The program is nonpartisan and so is the application process, Terayama said.

“We don’t ask for political information,” he said. “We’re asking for their background, their Hawaii stories.”

After completing the program, some participants may be offered placement in a local or mainland political campaign. Terayama said the program is an investment not only in potential candidates for office, but the staff working behind them.

“As someone who is a former political staffer, I’m really excited to help those people find meaningful growth and find other ways to help and support their communities, as well,” he said.

According to Chock, PRP is set to invest in the Partners in Democracy program for the next 10 years, with the goal of producing 300 graduates.

“Not every cohort is going to fuel 10 candidates and five of them that will win; there’s going to be variation in that,” he said. “But the idea was to create an investment over a long period of time where we can hopefully do our part to increase civic engagement and create a platform that gives folks exposure.”