There is a word to describe political years like this one.
It may sound like a medical condition, but “stasis” is the best definition for this year with few candidates running for any political positions.
Stasis means a state of static balance or equilibrium or stagnation.
For Hawaii elections, it means this is not a year of change.
In fact, instead of this being the time to throw out the rascals, it may be the time to set a place for all of them at the dinner table.
According to calculations performed by the Associated Press, in this election year, just 279 candidates filed for office. By way of comparison, in 2020 there were 330, and in 2022 Hawaii saw more than 400 candidates filing to run for office.
One reason for the lack of candidates is that it is always difficult to beat an incumbent. So the wise new potential candidate waits for an open seat without an incumbent. If a person has already been elected, that is an obvious stamp of approval and makes it difficult for challengers to first get the name recognition to raise money and organize a campaign, and then to outpoll the incumbent.
If a seat is vacant, candidates will show up to fill it.
For instance, the AP reported that in the state House, five Democrats are running to take retiring Bert Kobayashi’s District 20 place, two are gunning for Scott Nishimoto’s District 23 spot, and four want to replace Cedric Gates in District 45. Nishimoto is running for the City Council, and Gates also is running for a different office.
Twenty-four of the state House’s 45 Democrats are essentially already elected because no one even filed to run against them.
The political disinterest shows no political favorites. On the GOP side of the House, five of the six Republicans also have no opposition.
Republican state Rep. Kanani Souza is in the only GOP primary House battle as she will face Sheila Medeiros in the primary.
For those looking for change this year, the reason they won’t get it is because of that oft-repeated political saying, “You can’t beat someone with no one.”
The unsaid part of that political truism is that as Hawaii’s politicians escape examination by the voters, there is little reason for those already in office to do more than just show up and sit down. In Hawaii, change masters or leaders need not apply.
Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays. Reach him at 808onpolitics@gmail.com.
