2 vie for support Democratic candidates for governor Ed Case and Andy Anderson hope to win support from Democratic party faithful even if they are viewed by some as outsiders.
at Democratic forum
Ed Case and Andy Anderson,
candidates for governor, express
their views at a forumBy Lisa Asato
lasato@starbulletin.comAt a gathering of Oahu Democrats yesterday, a man stood up to ask Anderson, a former Republican, why he should be taken seriously as a Democratic candidate.
Anderson said he came around to the Democratic Party later in life as he matured and got smarter.
In his speech, Anderson said he switched parties because he wanted to "come into a party with a broad social agenda, a big umbrella and a cross-section of legislators who reflected all of our people."
Case, a representative from Manoa who has challenged House Democratic leadership on many issues, said he believes in the Democratic Party, but believes it needs to change.
"If I didn't believe in the Democratic Party, I have plenty of options along the way. I get a lot of invitations to switch. The Republicans would love to have me, I guess. I don't know what that says. Frankly, sometimes some of the members of my own party would like me to switch," he said, to laughter.
On the issues, both candidates said they support death with dignity legislation and a cap on gas prices.
On native Hawaiian self-determination, both said native Hawaiians must decide sovereignty issues for themselves.
As governor, Anderson said he would make sure sovereignty would respect rights of non-Hawaiians.
Case said he supports the Akaka bill to give federal recognition to native Hawaiians and believes the state's role is to advocate for native Hawaiians in Congress, where he believes the issue should be decided.
Anderson said he would commit himself to rebuilding the Democratic Party's labor base "as they used to be in the John Burns and (George) Ariyoshi days as a solid bloc representing all the people in Hawaii."
"You're not going to balance the budget, you're not going to bring back fiscal responsibility by doing it on the backs of government employees. It doesn't work that way," he added.
Case said Hawaii favors Democratic views on social issues like abortion and gun control, but the party also needs to stand for reducing the cost of government, making government more efficient and for campaign finance reform.
"We need to be the party again of inclusion," Case said. "We're not perceived that way by the mainstream. We're perceived as the party that's in control and doesn't want to give it up."
Another candidate for governor, Mayor Jeremy Harris, did not participate in yesterday's Democratic Party of Oahu meeting. He was in Shanghai where he was invited to give a keynote address to a meeting of the Asian Development Bank, said Ben Lee, the city managing director.