Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 11, Number 12, 1 November 1994 — Vote and make a difference on Nov. 8 [ARTICLE]

Vote and make a difference on Nov. 8

b\ Deborah L. Ward The 1994 election on Tuesday. November 8 will be one of the most important for Hawai'i in several years. Three of the four Hawai'i seats in Congress are up for election, and ineumbents Sen. Daniel Akaka and Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Patsy Mink are seeking re-election.

In Hawai'i, particular attention is focused on the race for govemor and lieutenant govemor. Tliere are four candidates running for the governor's seat whieh is being vacated by Gov. John Waihe'e, who is nof eligible to mn for re-election after (he maximum two terms allowed by law, and four mnning for the lieutenant governor's jx>st. There are 10 open seats in ihe state Senate and 38 open seats in the state House. The only mayoral races in this

year's general eleeūon involve Maui and Kaua'i counties, since a special eleeūon for mayor of the City and County of Honolulu was held during the primary, and City Managing Director Jeremy Harris was elected Mayor. The Big Island mayoral seat will be up forelection in 1996. This eleeūon edition of Ka Wai Ola O OHA is intended to provide OHA voters with information on the candidates running for OHA. for Congress, for govemor and lieutenant governor, for the Senate and House of the state Legislature, and for the offices of Maui County Mayor and Kaua'i County Mayor. [Due to space limitations the Board of Education and county eouneU races could not be included.] We encourage voters to further educate themselves on the candidates by vie*ing or jQendng candidate fomms, by contacūng the candidates directly, or by reading news articles.

Candidates in the general eleeūon and OHA election were sent a questionnaire immediately following the primary eleetion and invited to respond with basic information about their previous political experience, employment and community service experience, and their reasons for running for election. We also asked them to comment, briefly, on their views on specific social and eeonomie issues in Hawai'i, namely: cost of living, housing, heahh care, jobs and education. Finally, we asked candidates to tell what they would do for Hawaiians, if elected, and how they believe Hawaiian sovereignty and self-determination should be addressed. Although all candidates were given ampie opportunjt> 10 respond lo the qoestionnaire, and follow-up calls were made as a courtesy, not all candidates chose, or

were able to respond. Ka Wai Ola O OHA thanks those candidates who took time from their campaign schedules to tell Hawaiian voters about their views and goals as your prospective elected officials. In the next few years to eome, the legislators selected on Nov. 8 by Hawaiian voters, and by the other voters of the state, will be making decisions on many important issues that will affect Hawaiians — - such as Hawaiian homelands, future Hawaiian entitlements, the Hawaiian plebiscite on sovereignty, education, health care, employment, eeonomie development, housing, federal trust relationship, and mueh more.

Hawaiian voters ean help choose the people who will make decisions lhat will j(feci ihea Ine. Your vote may lead to important changes, but first it must be used.