I just announced my candidacy a few days ago on the Kaʻū Calendar blog (Thank you, Kaʻū Calendar!). Itʻs an exciting but slightly nerve-wracking experience. I really appreciate all the support! I havenʻt really campaigned since grade school, when I got elected student council president on a platform that, if I remember right, had something to do with everyone getting more candy LOL.
Iʻm more of an introvert than an extrovert and public speaking is NOT something that comes naturally to me. But I do love my district: these slopes of Mauna Loa and Kilauea in all its variety of terrain from dense rain-forest to verdant grasslands, from rocky shoreline to icy mauna. And I love the resilient, independent, tough but loving people who live in this district. Most of us love this ʻaina intensely and want to protect and nurture it. We value the network of family and friends that comes with having lived in and loved a particular place for many years or even many generations.
And we do have needs that are not being met – the people of this district need access to better health care and educational opportunities in the district. In Hawaiʻi health care and education are largely handled at the state level, but county officials can help to advocate for these issues at the state level. Our district also needs access to better services that are managed and funded at the County level, such as public transportation, waste management and policing.