Some 250 senior citizens mingled with 23 first-time and veteran political candidates Wednesday ahead of an Aug. 10 primary election where every vote will be critical, especially due to an expected low voter turnout.
At the Lanakila Multi-Purpose
Senior Center operated by Catholic Charities Hawaii off School Street, House Speaker Scott Saiki handed out blue plastic pill containers for each day of the week one table away from his Democratic primary challenger, former Board of Education member Kim Coco Iwamoto.
It can often take as few as 3,000 votes or so to become a Hawaii senator or representative.
Twelve 0f 25 Senate seats are up for election along with all 51 House seats.
Saiki defeated Iwamoto in their last primary to represent Ala Moana-Kakaako-Downtown in 2022 by only 161 votes — 2,680 votes for Saiki compared with 2,519 for Iwamoto.
So getting to meet face to face with senior citizens at the Lanakila candidates fair can be critical because seniors represent a loyal and reliable bloc of voters, according to both candidates and voters.
Even if they mingled with seniors outside of their districts on Wednesday, Saiki said Hawaii’s “coconut wireless” can spread meaningful encounters to constituents who can make the difference in tight elections, such as this year’s rematch with Iwamoto.
“The coconut wireless is critical, especially among seniors,” Saiki said. “Seniors are one of the more organized advocacy groups with voting influence.”
Iwamoto passed out fresh produce from Farm Link Hawaii while meeting voters who remembered her from her time on the BOE.
She emphasized her work with affordable housing for seniors while assisted by her niece, Harper Harris, who turns 15 today.
Harper staffs a phone bank from home in Atlanta on Iwamoto’s behalf and flies out for the summers to help with child care for Iwamoto’s 11-year-old daughter, an incoming fifth grader at Queen Kaahumanu
Elementary School.
Hawaii needs to do more to help keiki and kupuna, Iwamoto said, echoing a common theme from both candidates and voters Wednesday.
Shirley Templo hopes to unseat Rep. Sonny Ganaden in the Democratic primary to represent Kalihi-Kalihi Kai-Hickam Village in Templo’s second run for the House.
Her table featured a picture of child star Shirley Temple and Templo — age 32 — looked around the crowd and said, “I was named after Shirley Temple. My generation doesn’t know who Shirley Temple is but this one sure does.”
“Seniors are very important, especially with boomers coming into retirement,” Templo said. “We have to ensure that services are there for our kupuna and for our keiki — our vulnerable populations.”
Puna Frank — “everybody calls me Puna from Lanakila” — told
Rep. Daniel Holt, (D, Sand Island-Iwilei-Chinatown), that she knew his family.
She likes to come to the Lanakila candidate fair “because it helps us seniors be aware of what’s happening. Seniors are important because we know the past and we set the path for the future, for our
grandchildren.”
Holt passed out bags of kettle corn and said, “they all know my family. I’m hearing lots of stories.”
Micah Aiu, (D, Moanalua-Aliamanu-Foster Village), was accompanied by his mother, state
Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, (D, Kalihi-Fort Shafter-Red Hill).
Aiu, who is running for reelection, believes that his attendance at the 2022 Lanakila candidate fair likely provided an edge in his first election.
“I think it definitely helped,” Aiu said.
He and his mom handed out rice paddles packaged with a recipe for sushi rice and a picture of them together from their 2022 campaigns. (Kim’s Senate seat is not up for election this year).
First-time candidate Shotaro Dabbs, 25, showed up in a blue business suit and tie and hopes Aiu’s success attending the candidate fair rubs off on him as a first-time Republican candidate trying to unseat Democratic Sen. Sharon Y. Moriwaki to represent Waikiki-Ala Moana-Kakaako.
Neither Dabbs nor Moriwaki has a primary opponent and will face off in the Nov. 5 general election.
At the candidate fair, there was plenty of talk about November with President Joe Biden pledging to run again against former President Donald Trump despite growing calls for Biden to drop out of the race.
All of the voters who brought up the presidential race — without prompting — to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Wednesday emphasized their desire to keep Trump out of the White House.
Among them were loyal voter Carole Suzui, 75, of Pauoa Valley, who said, “I certainly don’t want Trump. That would be horrible.”
Susan Young, 73, co-chairs the Oahu County Democratic Organizing For Elections 2024 Committee and sat at a table with a sign endorsing the ticket of Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Young handed out campaign buttons featuring a donkey with a lei flashing a shaka and said that Hawaii senior voters are again expected to help secure a victory for Biden in Hawaii.
“That’s why we’re here,” Young said.
But for local candidates, the opportunity to meet face to face providers voters the opportunity to literally size up the candidates — especially in the case of voter
Rogelio “Archie” Lardizaball, 79.
He had seen campaign materials for then-2022 first time House candidate Jenna Takenouchi, (D, Pacific Heights-Nuuanu-Liliha), who faces reelection this year.
She has no primary
challenger and will face the winner of the Republican primary in November.
“You want to know who they are and how short
they are,” Lardizaball said. “Jenna knocked on the door and I said, ‘I expected you to be taller.’”
Despite her lack of height, Takenouchi won Lardizaball over when she responded, “‘Oh, I’m still growing.’”
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