Election 2022 - Look beyond the money, prevent greed and corruption where it starts
Over the past 10 years, 76 of last 79 seats up for election in the Hawaii State Senate were won by the candidates who had the most money.
"Every two years we get a chance to do our part and choose who we want to represent us in government. What we see happen almost all of the time is the candidates with the most money end up getting the job.
That’s been the case for 76 of the last 79 Hawaii State Senate races. This trend can make election season a breeding ground for greed and corruption and can influence new leaders to play the game of money because in this case, 96% of the time efforts there result in winning. In the 2020 election, candidates who won their Hawaii State Senate seats raised on average $157k. The average raised by winning candidates 10 years ago was $102k.
New candidates are being trained to take as much money as they can to better their odds but in the long run we pay the cost with so many local families having to leave because they can't afford to live here and with lawmakers who get in only to end up putting their party and personal agendas over the people they’re supposed to represent.
No matter what party you're in or side you're on, we can all help limit money's influence in elections. Our campaign is on track to not only win in November but provide a blueprint for the next group of leaders who follow us. We don't ask for money, instead, we spend all of our time and effort in our community, going door to door meeting those we’re running to represent to get to know them. We don’t need to buy any votes, because we earn them.
The donations we do get come from locals who share our values and we put that money right back into our community. And from the start we decided to skip on one of a campaign’s most expensive bills the tradition of mailing flyers that can cost more than $10k each time only to end up in the trash a lot of the time. We’ve been quietly doing our part since October, and now you have your opportunity.
When you cast your vote look beyond the money and show them what you really value."