Forty-nine mostly Republican candidates for the Hawaii Legislature and Congress have signed a no-new-taxes pledge.

The signings were announced yesterday by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

The pledge was designed by Americans for Tax Reform, a Washington group.

Among the Republicans who signed were lieutenant governor candidate Lynn Finnegan, congressional contenders John Willoughby in Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District and U.S. Rep. Charles Djou in the 1st Congressional District, and U.S. Senate candidate Cam Cavasso.

A spokesman for GOP gubernatorial contender James "Duke" Aiona says Aiona opposes tax hikes but did not sign because the pledge left no room for extraordinary circumstances and did not include a time frame.