State Rep. Sylvia Luke compares her reborn relationship with running mate Lt. Gov. Josh Green to “an arranged marriage.”
So far they’re still in their political honeymoon phase following their separate Democratic primary victories Aug. 13 to become Hawaii’s next lieutenant governor and governor, respectively.
They’ve spoken daily about the challenges ahead ever since Luke visited Green at his election night watch party in Waikiki. And they continue to fine-tune how they see their roles as a team should they win election as a newly formed Democratic ticket on Nov. 8.
“There is no forgone conclusion,” Green said. “We will work as hard as can be.”
If elected, they want to avoid the pitfalls they’ve seen firsthand when the Legislature and executive branch feud — and what can happen when the governor and lieutenant governor don’t agree.
Gov. David Ige’s first lieutenant governor — Shan Tsutsui — resigned in frustration with three days’ notice in 2018, and Green, a medical doctor, has not always been in sync with Ige regarding messaging on homelessness and COVID-19.
Asked what would happen if Luke and Green offer conflicting messages, Green said: “I would be hypocritical if I didn’t say that any lieutenant governor should be able to speak their mind. People want their elected leaders to be real.”
Luke said, “There was a disconnect between the governor and lieutenant governor. You can judge how people are going to get along. We actually truly like each other. … The tone that a team sets makes a difference.”
Green and Luke told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in a joint interview at Green’s Kalihi campaign headquarters that they are as similar as they are different, but in lockstep when it comes to policy goals and personalities.
“We broke the mold,” Green said. “You’ve got a doctor and a lawyer of different ethnicities, both progressives on civil rights, gun rights, abortion rights.”
They have a long laundry list of priorities but said the top five are addressing affordable housing, expanding pre-K education and doing more to address mental health, homelessness and climate change.
If they win, the hard work begins immediately to assemble a cabinet; write a state of the state speech outlining the administration’s goals and challenges for the upcoming legislative session; and draft a package of administration bills that Green said will include a new round of proposals to reform political ethics and rules regarding lobbying and campaign donations.
The 2022 legislative session was widely condemned for failing to pass meaningful ethics reforms even after former state Sen. J. Kalani English and former state Rep. Ty J.K. Cullen pleaded guilty to federal bribery and political corruption charges at the start of the session.
THIS MONTH’S primary election saw only 338,477 votes cast statewide, or 39.6% of registered voters.
The low turnout was a result “when people don’t feel connected,” especially on the neighbor islands, Luke said.
Green and Luke said that showing results and greater transparency will help inspire voter turnout and faith in state government.
“We’ll be judged by our performance and our results,” Green said. “But people will see what we’re doing.”
Green said some members of the community already have reached out to join a new administration and some current cabinet members may want to shift responsibilities, which could rejuvenate their enthusiasm to help people through state government.
“People are saying they’re excited because they feel a lot of new energy,” Green said. “My hope is that people of all walks of life apply to be on our team … that will fit together, be diverse, smart as heck and form a team that is super strong.”
The Democratic nominees believe they are also positioned to build on the successes of the last legislative session that saw record levels of funding for several projects dear to liberal progressives, which was enabled by a faster-than- predicted rebound in Hawaii’s economy.
Green said that preserving women’s reproductive rights also will be a priority following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling overturning Roe v. Wade and leaving access to abortion up to individual states.
Luke served as House Finance Committee chair for 10 years and was a key player in the 2022 session’s record funding and a member of House leadership. She said she also has a good working relationship with her Senate counterparts.
House Speaker Scott Saiki and House Majority Leader Della Au Belatti both won their primaries and are poised to return to leadership roles in the upcoming legislative session.
LUKE, 54, was first elected to the House in 1998. Green, 52, was elected to the House in 2004.
“Collectively we’re 106 years old,” he quipped.
They became political allies and part of a hui of new and frustrated House members who were out of the power structure a generation ago. (Green was later elected to the state Senate in 2008).
The running mates each consider themselves progressive Democrats with an urgent need to particularly help struggling families.
Luke’s family emigrated from South Korea and she had to learn to speak English. Green was born profoundly deaf and was nearly institutionalized on the mainland before the age of 2 until surgery enabled him to hear.
His experience shaped his desire to become a doctor and help families, especially those in rural communities who struggle to get quality health care.
Green and Luke are excited about their shared goals and similar personalities, which they believe will lead to future success for Hawaii.
Ige, an engineer by training, is a soft spoken, methodical thinker. That’s neither Green nor Luke.
“I like to talk,” Green said. “I like to talk through problems. Sylvia and I will spend a lot of time talking and working through problems.”
And both can wield a cutting sense of humor.
At the Democratic Party’s post-election “Unity Breakfast” Aug. 14, designed to heal inter-party hard feelings, Green planned to “roast” some of his fellow politicians but was begged off by his wife, Jaime.
Then Luke got up and started firing zingers, particularly at Saiki.
Back in the day, Luke told the crowd, now-U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, Saiki and other new legislators were called the “Young Turks.”
“Clearly, now we’re middle-aged Turks,” Luke said. She then called Saiki “a senior citizen Turk.”
And so Green’s shtick was back on for his follow-up speech.
He thanked Ige for his graciousness and patience, and remembered the governor’s message to him before traveling on official business: “Green, don’t break anything.”
“When Sylvia lights me on fire … you may remember I was guilty of that same thing for several years,” Green said.
“This ticket is a problem for our staffs,” Luke told the Star-Advertiser, remembering their “Unity Breakfast” speeches. “They’re going to be cringing.”
AHEAD OF the general election and the upcoming legislative session, Green and Luke are laying the groundwork for success now by emphasizing cooperation and communication.
Green said legislators have “set the table and it’s time for us to deliver. We have all the tools in place as a team. And I use ‘team’ in all caps.”
As for his relationship with Luke as Hawaii’s likely next lieutenant governor, Green has already introduced her, via remote connection, to the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association.
“They’re going to love her,” he said.
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