Jill Tokuda heads to Congress
Posted: November 9, 2022
Lt. Gov. Josh Green was elected the ninth governor of Hawaiʻi Tuesday, beating his Republican opponent and former lieutenant governor Duke Aiona by almost a 2-1 margin.
Green and his Democratic LG running mate, state Rep. Sylvia Luke, triumphed over Aiona and his LG candidate Seaula Jr. Tupaʻi, 64% to 35%.
View Hawaiʻi’s full general election results here.
“Tonight is the first day of that new era where our leaders must start doing more to listen, to care and to work on issues that matter to all of us, that matter to you,” Green told supporters at the Democratic Party’s election celebration at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center.
Green promised a “new era” in Hawaiʻi politics, pledging to do more to “make a difference in your life.”
Shortly after the first printout of votes was released about 8:20 p.m. Tuesday, Luke addressed cheering supporters at the convention center and said, “Only in the state of Hawaiʻi, only in America, that we had an opportunity as an immigrant like me, to be given an opportunity to hold the second highest office in the state of Hawaiʻi and I can’t mahalo you enough for that.”
Luke said she and Green are ready to tackle many dire issues that confront our state.
“We have so many things that we need to take care of. We need to start work on many of those issues today. Not five years from now. Not 10 years from now, but today,” Luke said.
From left: HSTA Vice President Logan Okita, Lt. Gov. Josh Green, HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr.; HSTA Vice President Logan Okita, Rep. Sylvia Luke, HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr.
The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association recommended Green and Luke in both the primary and general elections.
HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr. said, “We’re thrilled to see that the Hawaiʻi voters have spoken and many of the HSTA candidates that we were recommending are going on to represent their communities.
“We look forward to making sure that education is a priority and we will work hard with the Green-Luke administration as well as new and returning legislators to make sure that our keiki can get the schools that they deserve,” Tui added.
Former Kāneʻohe state Sen. Jill Tokuda, pictured here with HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr., was elected as Hawaiʻi’s newest member of Congress on Tuesday.
Former Kāneʻohe state Sen. Jill Tokuda was elected as Hawaiʻi’s newest member of Congress on Tuesday.
She will be joined in Washington, D.C., by Hawaii Congressman Ed Case and U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, fellow Democrats who easily won their respective races.
Tokuda will represent the 2nd Congressional District, which includes rural Oahu and the neighbor islands. She garnered nearly twice as many votes as her Republican opponent, Joe Akana, 61% to 32%, according to the second round of results released by the state Office of Elections.
Tokuda told Democrats gathered at the convention center Tuesday that civility counts.
“If you ask me now more than ever, this nation, this Congress needs Hawaiʻi. Hawaiʻi is all about aloha spirit. It’s all about making sure that people at the end of the day, no matter what side of the aisle they’re on, treat each other with respect,” Tokuda said.
“But most importantly, they remember that it’s always about the people. People first. Democrats put people first. And so I can’t wait to go to Congress with the best delegation I think we’ve seen in many, many years.” she added.
HSTA Vice President Logan Okita thanked HSTA members from across the state who spent part of their summer and fall volunteering for candidates the union recommended for election.
“We know how busy educators are in their professional and personal lives and we’re grateful so many of our members took time to sign wave and volunteer in other ways for candidates who support public education,” said Okita, who is a teacher at Nimitz Elementary.