The new Chair of the Democratic Party of Hawaii Mr. Tim Vanderveer said today after his election at the Sheraton Hotel in Waikiki. “The torch has been passed to a new generation.”
Jacce Mikulanec, Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, Florence Kong Kee and Tim Vandeveer were in the race to replace Stephanie Ohigashi as chair of the Democratic Party of Hawaii.
Tim Vanderveer was elected what is widely seen as a sign the old Inouye machine and the big labor Union candidates lost.
Vanderveer is also an unrelenting supporter of Bernie Sanders for president, the independent senator from Vermont standing up against Hillary Clinton. Him becoming the leader of the Hawaii democratic party will make him a super candidate. He will most certainly take his vote for Bernie Sanders to the upcoming national party convention in Philadelphia.
LYNN DECOITE
Seeks Senate seat
Rep. Lynn DeCoite, Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English’s pick to take his place once he retires, is throwing her hat into the ring for English’s Senate District 7 seat, which covers a broad swath of East and Upcountry Maui, Molokai and Lanai.
DeCoite is the first to publicly announce her intention to vie for the District 7 seat after English on Tuesday revealed plans to retire as he deals with the long-term effects of COVID-19.
“There is no doubt that Senator English leaves very big shoes to fill,” DeCoite said in a statement on Wednesday. “Our district needs someone who will foster the relationships that he has built and continue to ensure that resources are properly allocated to our rural communities.”
The Maui News
U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele announced last week field representative selections who will serve as direct contacts for Maui County constituents and support area operations.
For the first time, each inhabited island of Maui County will have a designated member of congressional staff, Kahele’s office said in a news release.
The field representatives will be Stephanie Ohigashi for Maui, Gene Ross Davis for Molokai and Joelle Aki Aoki for Lanai.
Born and raised in Wailuku, Ohigashi is the current International & Regional Partnerships coordinator for the University of Hawaii Maui College. She has a long list of local volunteer work and previously served as executive assistant to then-Maui County Council member Michael Victorino, who is now the mayor. Ohigashi can be reached at (808) 208-2980.
mtanji@mauinews.com
The Hawaii Democratic Party put together mug and Kona coffee packages for anyone who wanted to enjoy a hot beverage while watching the inauguration in Washington D.C. on TV early Wednesday morning. Maui Democrats were saddened they couldnât travel to the nationâs capital to watch the events due to COVID-19 and heightened security following violence at the Capitol. Hawaii Democratic Party photo
Instead of joining a crowd of onlookers for the presidential inauguration in Washington D.C., Helen Nielsen “drank champagne and wore pearls” in her living room in Kaupo on Wednesday morning.
“This would have been the year we could have gone,” Nielsen said of the inauguration, where public participation was dampened by COVID-19 and the recent violence at the Capitol.