Six of the seven announced Democratic candidates for Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District seat stepped up efforts to separate themselves from the rest of the field during a forum Monday, while attempting to make special appeals to a largely older crowd.
Sponsored by the Honolulu-based Kokua Council, which advocates for seniors, the forum drew about 50 people to Harris United Methodist Church in lower Nuuanu.
Honolulu City Council members Ikaika Anderson, Stanley Chang and Joey Manahan attended, as did state Sen. Will Espero, state Rep. Mark Takai and community activist Kathryn Xian. State Senate President Donna Mercado Kim (D, Kalihi Valley-Moanalua-Halawa), whom a Hawaii Poll showed as the front-runner by about 10 percentage points, was at a conference in Washington, D.C., on Monday, her campaign said.
Manahan, who announced his plans to run less than two weeks ago, told the audience that as someone who emigrated from the Philippines when he was 10, he provides a unique perspective.
"I understand what it means to bridge two worlds," he said. "I do that every day of my life. I know what it’s like to bring people together … based on shared values."
Takai (D, Halawa-Aiea-Newtown) pointed out that his grandparents and great-grandparents came from Japan to work in Hawaii’s plantations "to make a better life for themselves," while he is also a parent of two pre-teens who attend public schools. Takai said he ran for office to ensure Hawaii’s seniors and children will always be priorities for government.
Xian described herself as the field’s only true activist candidate.
"I have invested in my life and over a decade’s worth of my work to serving the public as a public servant, protecting the people who are most vulnerable in Hawaii," she said, noting she has drafted successful bills that are aimed at protecting people from human trafficking.
Espero (D, Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point) said he was born in Japan to a U.S. military family and grew up in different installations before settling in Hawaii. He said his 22 years in public service — eight as an administrator under the late Mayor Frank Fasi and 14 as a lawmaker — add up to more experience than the other candidates at the table.
Chang said he is the son of Chinese immigrants and that his father has health issues that require him to be cared for by his mother full time. Besides having the greatest life expectancy in the country, "we have the fastest-growing population of seniors in the United States," he said in explaining why advocating for seniors is among his priorities.
Anderson, the only candidate of Native Hawaiian ancestry, said his grandparents paid for him to attend Kamehameha Schools. A parent of four young children, Anderson said he has both the track record and youth to serve Hawaii effectively for years.
All of the candidates said they would protect seniors’ benefits as their first piece of legislation.
