Another Republican elected in a Blue state.
Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou has won the special election in urban Honolulu’s 1st Congressional District, the first Republican sent to Washington, D.C., to represent the Islands in two decades.
According to the state Office of Elections, Djou leads with 39.5 percent of the vote, followed by 30.8 percent for state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa and 27.6 percent for former congressman Ed Case. The remaining 11 other candidates attracted the rest of the vote.
The results are for ballots mailed in or dropped off through Friday and a portion of ballots received today, accounting for most of the votes cast in the winner-take-all special election. The Office of Elections plans to release a final count later tonight.
Djou would serve out the remaining months of former congressman Neil Abercrombie’s term in Congress, which ends in January 2011. Abercrombie resigned in February to concentrate on his campaign in the Democratic primary for governor.
The September primary and November general election will determine who replaces Abercrombie in Congress.
Djou would be the first Republican from Hawaii sent to Congress in 20 years and only the third since statehood.
More here: http://biggovernment.com/publius/2010/05/22/gop-wins-special-election-in-obamas-hawaii/
Where he stands on the issues:
Economy:
Getting the economy back on track begins with a clear vision. I believe that every resident of Hawai‘i who is looking for a job should be able to find one. I have always made it a priority to lower taxes because reducing the tax burden allows you to keep more of your money for your family, to grow your business and to buy goods and services, which in turn fosters small business and job growth in our community. That is why I have never voted for a tax increase. You are a better steward of your money and can do more for the economy than the government. I will continue this long standing fight in Washington….Healthcare:
I recognize that healthcare costs are increasing too fast in our country and that too many of our fellow citizens remain uninsured. I will consider any sensible idea for making healthcare work better in America. But any change to our healthcare system must address the spiraling costs and insure more Americans without limiting heath options or harming the doctor-patient relationship. For these reasons, I support market-based healthcare reforms that work. What is needed is tort reform. I have long supported a limit on non-economic damages for medical malpractice. Tort reform is long over due and I will fight for a $250,000 cap or three times economic damages for medical malpractice awards to help reduce the need for “defensive” medicine and bring down the cost of malpractice insurance. I also support allowing the sale of inter-state health insurance….National Security:
Our uniformed men and women make up the most capable fighting force in the world and Hawai‘i has a unique and critical role in our national security. Our island chain is home to key military bases and stations, thousands of military personnel and various strategic operations. To cope with the diverse and challenging threats facing our nation, America must maintain its strong military and Hawai‘i must retain its central role in military preparedness. I currently serve as a Captain in the United States Army Reserve. I understand that we must combat terrorism wherever it is found, whether in Iran, the Pakistan-Afghanistan border regions or in industrialized cities around the world. At home, I support a national plan to protect America’s infrastructure and keep our communities safe. That plan begins with increased security measures for our airports, ports and land borders.Education:
We need a reformed education system that puts children first. I believe we must turn education right-side up by making principals and teachers accountable for our children’s education and empowering parental involvement in schools. Principals in turn must have the resources they need, including adequate funding and the ability to remove underperforming teachers. The cost of the Educational bureaucracies must be reduced to insure that education dollars are spent in the classroom and teachers have the tools they need to educate our children, including continuing teacher education and training. That’s how good school systems work. We cannot continue to limit our children’s potential in school systems that don’t teach.
The rest here: http://www.djou.com/notes/Issues
He has the right ideas and principles. Let’s see if he follows through.
November is coming.