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Mike Gabbard to Switch parties, run for Governor in 2026?
CB: … Tamara McKay, state chair of the Hawaii Republican Party, is now wondering whether state Sen. Mike Gabbard might do as his daughter recently did and jump ship from the Democratic Party.
“Recently, a member approached me with thoughts on a strong candidate for Hawaii’s 2026 gubernatorial race. I suggested that if Senator Mike Gabbard were to consider switching parties, as his daughter Tulsi Gabbard has, Hawaii might warmly receive him as a viable candidate for governor,” McKay said in an emailed GOP newsletter Thursday.
(CLUE: Don’t announce private and preliminary party-switch discussions in public. Duh.)
“This idea was met with great enthusiasm, prompting a lunch meeting with Senator Gabbard. I was informed during the lunch, Senator Gabbard expressed openness to the idea, pending thoughtful consideration and prayer with his family. This possibility brings hope for strong leadership in Hawaii, and we look forward to seeing where this journey may lead.”
(TRANSLATION: McKay wants you to know what her IQ is. She has informed you.)
Gabbard himself, however, tells The Sunshine Blog the thought of running for governor “has never entered my mind.”
“I never said I was open to the idea. I simply said that I would talk with my family and pray about it,” he says. “At this time, I’m deeply engaged in preparing for the 2025 session and I have no interest in running for governor in 2026 as a Republican or a Democrat.”
(TRANSLATION: Gabbard admits the meeting really happened and he will ‘pray about it’ which means he will ask his Lord and Master, Chris Butler.)
Well, that clears that up. Late Thursday, McKay sent out a revised GOP email that dropped any reference to Mike Gabbard.
(TRANSLATION: McKay actually believes this ‘revised email’ can make it all go away. Wow. Just wow.)
read … The Sunshine Blog: Mike Gabbard For Governor? - Honolulu Civil Beat
DHHL Gives its $600M to KSBE, Grove Farm, Haseko
CB: … The most recent proposal would direct more than $100 million to buy more than 400 acres in Kunia as well as upward of 300 acres in Lihue and other lands on Maui, Oahu and the Big Island.
(TRANSLATION: Instead of building units, DHHL is buying land.)
The initiative to acquire the Kunia lots is part of another round of changes to the overall $600 million spending plan going before the Hawaiian Homes Commission on Monday….
The new acquisitions as well as other changes have more than doubled the number of lots planned for development. The department initially anticipated developing about 3,100 lots when it set out its spending plans in late 2022. Now, that figure is upward of 7,800 lots, thanks in large part to the new land that it plans to acquire.
(Key word: “Planned.” None of this is really being built.)
But the new plans and land acquisitions would create additional development costs.
The department projects it will need more than $561 million in additional funding to complete development on all those lands.
(TRANSLATION: After we give away $600M to large landowners, we want another $561M.)
(QUESTION: Who is getting the $600M?)
The department is eyeing about 211 acres owned by Haseko Development just above Anoiki Street in Royal Kunia.
(Haseko)
Haseko acquired the land in 2020 but hasn’t built on it yet. In a statement, the company said it’s still in the design and entitlement process and acknowledged it is in discussions with the homelands department for the potential sale of the property.
The state Department of Agriculture owns about 150 acres just north of that area. Investment firms Jupiter Holdings and Robinson Kunia Land LLC also own lots near areas the homelands department is considering for development. Watson said he’s hopeful the other landowners will be receptive to the department’s plans.
(Jupiter. Robinson.)
Rep. Luke Evslin …is… looking forward to the acquisition of more than 300 acres of land owned by Grove Farm near the Walmart in Lihue. Most of the department’s lands on Kauai are far from jobs in town.
Some of those lands owned by Grove Farm …
(Grove Farm.)
The department already has acquired new land in Wailuku and in Hilo. And it has plans to buy a lot next to Kapolei High School as well as land owned by Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii Kai.
(KSBE.)
read … Department Of Hawaiian Home Lands Looks At New Lots To Reduce Waitlist
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