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David Ige
DWon the General, 2012 Hawaii State Senate District 16
Hawaii Governor (2014 - Present)
Committee assignments (? - Present)
To be claimed
Former Vice-Chair, Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, Hawaii State Senate
Former Chair, Committee on Health, Hawaii State Senate
Chair, Committee on Ways and Means, Hawaii State Senate, 2010-2014
Chair, Committee on Health, Hawaii State Senate, 2006-2010
Chair, Committee on Education and Technology, Hawaii State Senate, 1998-2000
Chair, Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Information Technology, Hawaii State Senate, 1996-1998
Chair, Committee on Higher Education, Culture, and the Arts, Hawaii State Senate, 1994-1996
Chair, Committee on Education, Hawaii House of Representatives, 1992-1994
Chair, Committee on Higher Education, Hawaii House of Representatives, 1990-1992
Chair, Committee on Economic Development and Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii House of Representatives, 1988-1990
Former Vice-Chair, Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, Hawaii State Senate
Former Chair, Committee on Health, Hawaii State Senate
Chair, Committee on Ways and Means, Hawaii State Senate, 2010-2014
Chair, Committee on Health, Hawaii State Senate, 2006-2010
Chair, Committee on Education and Technology, Hawaii State Senate, 1998-2000
Chair, Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Information Technology, Hawaii State Senate, 1996-1998
Chair, Committee on Higher Education, Culture, and the Arts, Hawaii State Senate, 1994-1996
Chair, Committee on Education, Hawaii House of Representatives, 1992-1994
Chair, Committee on Higher Education, Hawaii House of Representatives, 1990-1992
Chair, Committee on Economic Development and Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii House of Representatives, 1988-1990
— Awards:
— Father's Name:
— Father's Occupation:
— Mother's Name:
— Mother's Occupation:
Reason for Seeking Public Office:
My Commitment
I am running for Governor because Hawaiʻi needs a new style of leadership. Hawaii needs leadership that brings us together instead of divides us. Hawaiʻi needs leadership that moves us forward collectively instead of favoring special interests. Hawaiʻi needs leadership that delivers results and is willing to be held accountable for its actions.
The Ige administration will address the many issues facing our state in a direct and forthright manner. I will collaborate with our federal and county partners and with the Legislature to serve all of the people of our state. We will spend public funds thoughtfully and without waste to avoid raising taxes. We will make state government more efficient, especially in the procurement of goods and services and the hiring of personnel. We will conduct government affairs openly and be visible to the public.
The Ige administration will not only strive to do the right thing, but do it the right way. My administration will be honest, transparent, accountable, and responsive to you. I will serve the public interest and not special interests. I will hold regular news conferences. I will have no hidden agendas.
There will be no name-calling when I disagree with anyone, no disparaging remarks toward anyone, no taking sole credit for collective achievements or blaming others when things go wrong. When conflicts occur among diverse groups, my administration will hear all views and strive to find the best solution for all.
I will hold my appointees to a high standard of transparency and accessibility to assure the public that there are no conflicts of interest. If I were Governor I would have immediately signed SB 2682, which requires members of 15 state boards and commissions to publicly disclose their financial interests. Many of these boards and commissions make major expenditure decisions, and the public must be assured that these decisions are made in the public interest. The current Governor initially threatened to veto the bill, then reluctantly allowed it to become law without his signature. Instead, Hawaiʻi's Governor should have taken a strong stand for transparency in government.
My administration will honor and respect our Native Hawaiian culture, customs and practices.
This is my commitment to the people of Hawaiʻi.
The Ige Action Agenda
State government needs to work more like a business by consistently delivering results on time and within budget. As an electrical engineer in private business, I manage project teams that must deliver results that meet customer requirements. If we don't deliver results, we don't get paid and our clients are free to choose someone else. I bring this perspective to State government, which needs to be agile and efficient, innovative in developing solutions, adaptable to a rapidly changing environment, and above all, accountable to our "customers," the people of Hawaiʻi.
1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice
2. Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy?
- No
3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes
4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes
5. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No
6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No
7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- No
8. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- No
9. Other or expanded principles
- I support the current law in the US and believe that a woman has a right to choose to have a pregnancy aborted up to the time the fetus is viable or if her health is at risk.
1. Education (higher)
- Slightly Increase
2. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Increase
3. Environment
- Maintain Status
4. Health care
- Slightly Increase
5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Maintain Status
6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Maintain Status
7. Welfare
- Maintain Status
8. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer
1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status
2. Cigarette taxes
- Slightly Increase
3. Corporate taxes
- Maintain Status
4. Gas/Oil taxes
- Maintain Status
5. Property taxes
- No Answer
6. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status
7. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Maintain Status
8. Income taxes (mid-income families)
- Maintain Status
9. Income taxes (high-income families)
- Slightly Increase
10. Do you support expanding the film and television tax credit?
- Yes
11. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Tapping into Hawaii's "rainy day" fund
- No
2. Increasing tuition rates at public universities
- No
3. Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining
- No
4. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions
- No
5. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- No
6. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No
7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Individual
- Yes
2. Political Action Committee
- Yes
3. Corporate
- Yes
4. Political Party
- Yes
5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- Yes
6. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes
7. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes
8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- Yes
9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- No
2. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes
3. Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
- No
4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- No Answer
5. Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?
- No Answer
6. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- No Answer
7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes
2. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- Yes
3. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- No
4. Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes
5. Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes
6. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- No
7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- Yes
2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- Yes
3. Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
- No Answer
4. Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
- No
5. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- Yes
6. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- No Answer
7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Hawaii high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No Answer
8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy?
- Yes
2. Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- No
3. Do you support state funding for improvements to Hawaii's energy infrastructure?
- No Answer
4. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- Yes
5. Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change?
- No Answer
6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- Yes
2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- Yes
3. Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- No
4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- Yes
5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- No Answer
2. Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?
- Yes
3. Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
- Yes
4. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- No
5. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- No Answer
6. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- No
7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Should marriage only be between one man and one woman?
- Yes
2. Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
- Yes
3. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Hawaii's anti-discrimination laws?
- No Answer
4. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Hawaii's anti-discrimination laws?
- No Answer
5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
In the following area, on an attached page, or via e-mail, please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- I support increased State investment in capital improvement projects to stimulate growth in the construction industry in Hawaii for needed repair and maintenance of public school, public university, and other State facilities. This would allow us to benefit from historic low interest rates, and good bidding climate.
David Ige (D), Duke Aiona (R), and Mufi Hannemann (I) shared the stage during a debate sponsored by Hawaii News Now and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Hannemann criticized Ige and fellow legislators for rising electrical costs and problems faced by the state's public schools. He argued that Hawaii voters should question whether Ige could lead the way after spending 29 years in the legislature as the problems Aiona had pointed to developed. Ige responded that legislators have to reach consensus on major issues and that he was "running for governor because I know I can't do it as a legislator...I have to be governor to make these things work."
Ige asserted that Aiona was selective in referring to his past experience as lieutenant governor, taking credit for some policies of the Lingle Administration while not associating himself with others. Aiona responded that voters could ask a similar question of Ige because he was running on a ticket with sitting Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui.
Main article: U.S. governors and their responses to Syrian refugees Following the Paris terrorist attacks on November 13, 2015, in which members of the Islamic State (ISIS) killed at least 129 people and wounded more than 350, reports surfaced showing that one of the terrorists responsible for the attacks in Paris may have come to France posing as a Syrian refugee. Many governors issued statements of support or opposition to President Obama’s plan to allow 10,000 new Syrian refugees into the United States. Ige had strong support for the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state of Hawaii. He said: “ Hawaii is the Aloha State, known for its tradition of welcoming all people with tolerance and mutual respect. ... I am confident that our state will work closely with the federal government to ensure that appropriate resources and support are available before any refugees arrive in Hawaii. ” —Gov. David Ige
On June 29, 2016, Ige appointed Thomas Gorak to the state's Public Utilities Commission to succeed Commissioner Michael Champley, whose term expired on June 20. At the time, Gorak was chief counsel to the Public Utilities Commission. Former Public Utilities Commission Chair Hermina Morita criticized the timing of Gov. Ige's appointment of Gorak because the commission was preparing to vote on whether to allow NextEra Energy, a major energy company in Hawaii, to merge with Hawaii Electric Co. Morita said, "the whole process in an attempt to politically influence the decision by the PUC." Gov. Ige's administration opposed the $4.5 billion deal. Gov. Ige said that he was only hoping to speed up the process and that he had expected that the commission would have already reached its decision. Rep. Chris Lee (D), chairman of the Energy and Environmental Protection Committee, defended Gorak's appointment saying that "Tom Gorak is somebody who has a lot of background in all the dockets before the PUC as well as general experience with the utilities both here and around the country." The Public Utilities Commission rejected NextEra Energy's proposed merger with Hawaii Electric Co. on July 15, 2016.
Tue 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
