It seems every single day someone calls or emails me asking about various candidates running for election. I share with them my personal favorites, but also strongly encourage everyone to do just a little bit of homework and come to their own conclusions.
Actually it’s ridiculously easy to make a short list.
Which of the candidates responds to you when you send them a basic email question? Which of the candidates are taking the campaign seriously? Who truly wants your vote and makes it easy for you to find out the basic information about who they are, their values and world view, and their goals for the future?
Only five of the 17 candidates running for election to the Kaua‘i County Council bothered to respond to my “email from a voter” https://garyhooser.blog (includes the names and email address of all 17 Kaua‘i Council Candidates).
Consequently, my short list has already been reduced to just five. Why on earth would I vote for someone who doesn’t respond to my most basic questions? Two of the five candidates who did respond, do not have a campaign website where I can easily find out the answers to my most basic questions. How long have you lived here? What kind of job or work are you presently doing? What kind of community leadership positions have you held in the past? What are your core values and are they in alignment with mine?
I was surprised to discover during my research that 11 of the 17 candidates seeking election to the Kaua‘i County Council hadn’t bothered to even set up a basic campaign website. While not a deal-breaker, to this voter it speaks to a lack of professionalism.
Direct voter contact can make up for all of the email, websites, and online activity combined.
However, the time-honored campaign practice of walking door-to-door, canvassing neighborhoods, and meeting voters up close and personal — seems to be nonexistent. I’m not aware of any campaign whatsoever on Kaua‘i where the candidate is out knocking on doors, meeting voters in person.
For the serious arm-chair quarterback, Civil Beat includes excellent information on the candidates who completed their questionnaire — https://www.civilbeat.org/category/candidates-2024/. Unfortunately, six out of the 17 chose not to participate.
I totally understand that low tech, grassroots, salt of the earth, type candidates might think they don’t need a website or email, and they don’t need to fill out no dang forms.
To be clear, I think a candidate can win without the technology, but only if they spend the hours needed out in the neighborhood, walking door-to-door and meeting the voters face-to-face.
But none of them seem to be doing so.
I also understand how established incumbent candidates feel so confident (read arrogant) they don’t believe they need a website, or respond to email from voters, fill out pesky questionnaires, and certainly don’t need to be out in the hot sun walking door-to-door.
Yes, I can understand the arrogance, but I’m certainly not going to vote for it.
My personal short list is now down to three, and I’ve yet to drill down on the core issue positions. Will my list grow or shrink? Who knows? But one thing’s for certain, I’m going to limit my votes for council to only those candidates who are open to listening and sharing ideas with me, who are taking their campaign seriously, and who share my core values.
Please, do a bit of research on your own. Make your own short list, and vote!
If you’ve not yet registered go to https://olvr.hawaii.gov.
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Gary Hooser served eight years in the state Senate, where he was majority leader. He also served for eight years on the Kaua‘i County Council. He presently writes on Hawai‘i Policy and Politics at www.garyhooser.blog.
