CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
A Personal View
Hello Fellow Republicans, January 26, 2015
I have just returned from a meeting of the Republican National Committee which was held in San Diego. From one who has always been a little curious about the workings of this important committee, I want to share with you my personal observations and conclusions of what I experienced.
The committee is not just a social gathering of like-minded Republicans, the committee is made up of dedicated, thinking and practical, political people who want to implement the goals and visions of our Party.
It is led by an outstanding organizer who is realistic and pragmatic about reaching our goals. The organization re-elected Reince Priebus who, in my opinion, will lead us to victory. He already has shown his talent in successfully leading us to the capture of the majority leadership of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Republicans now also hold Governorships in 31 states.
In meeting with him, he articulated that his total commitment is to win the White House. He has given us much help in the past with financial support and talented staff, but, now he must concentrate all resources to the Big Race. I totally agree with him - winning the Presidency is in the best interests of our country.
I also attended strategy sessions where I was exposed to the tactics and the application of the latest technology to campaigning. They have come a long way to use digital and data mining techniques and detailed analyses of various districts in order to set strategies.
If we were able to use these techniques, especially where we lost races by small margins, we could be much more successful than we have been.
This takes money and dedication. The investment in the future in order to apply these strategies is what our Party should plan for and aim for. This coupled with finding the candidates which fit the districts, aggressive candidate training, preparation and effective campaign support is what is necessary in order to have more electoral wins. Only then can we be a truly effective opposition
The first step is fundraising and that is the reason for this report. The Party is hosting it’s annual Lincoln Dinner on February 19th at the Ko`olau Ballroom, beginning with a reception at 6 pm. and dinner at 7 p.m. Click here to reserve your ticket or table today!
This dinner initiates the first and most important step in preparation for the 2016 election. Our goal is to successfully elect as many new Republican legislators as possible.
Senator Jeffrey Flake from Arizona, who attended BYU will keynote our evening. He knows our state, our people and our customs. He sits on important committees in the U.S. Senate which affect our state. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee on which he sits, provides oversight on oil and gas, solar, and liquefied natural gas (LNG). As we pivot to solar power and the use of LNG, this committee’s legislation can directly impact our “highest in the nation” energy costs.
He also sits on the Foreign Relations Committee and the Sub-Committee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs. This is important to Hawaii, especially as the U.S. military begins its deployment of forces out of Hawaii. Our economy will be impacted .
The third and very important committee on which he sits is the Judiciary Committee which oversees constitutional amendments and all departments dealing with crime and terrorism, immigration, border security and consumer privacy.
You must come and meet the Senator and share with him our concerns for the future. At the same time you will be giving our Party the support and the tools with which it can become more effective. The two-party system is needed in Hawaii to assure our citizens a voice in their government.
Join me in welcoming Senator Flake and launching a new Republican era by joining us on Feb 19th!
Aloha Nui Loa,
Pat Saiki, Chair
Republican Party of Hawaii
P.S. The deadline to RSVP for the Lincoln Dinner is February 7. Click here to reserve your ticket or table today!
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Building on Success
January 14-17, San Diego, CA
Dear Party Member,
Your Party Leaders, Chairman. Pat Saiki, National Committeeman Ted Liu , E.D. Blake Parsons, and I, along with Hawaii guests Phil Hasha, Scott and Mary Smart, have just returned from a most interesting and inspiring RNC Winter Meeting in San Diego. We attended intensive workshops on party building activities, strategy sessions, campaign integration with the RNC, a report on the 2014 Elections, forums with Rising Stars in the Republican Party, and the election of our national officers. Pat, Ted, and I met privately with RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, and Political Director Chris McNulty to update them on our party plan, activities, and our particular needs. We expressed our gratitude for the tremendous help we received during the 2014 cycle.
We heard from Presidential hopefuls : Dr. Ben Carson, Texas Governor Rick Perry, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, and former Governor Mitt Romney. Other speakers included Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, and San Diego Mayor, Kevin Faulconer.
The Executive Committee of the RNC met to review the 2014 election activities and the fundraising that made them possible. We approved the 2015 Budget. Under Chr. Reince Priebus’s leadership, the RNC has exceeded all previous fundraising goals in all donor categories, and, once again, outraised the DNC. The RNC’s average donation continues to be $42.
This was the first RNC meeting since the historic election of 2014 when we achieved historic levels of party control. We now have 54 U.S. Senators (+9), 247 House Seats (+13), 31 Governors (+1), 68 legislative chambers (+9), and 24 Trifectas where we control the governorships and legislatures.
The Democrats’ War on Women failed, and new and diverse candidates like Mia Love, the first black Republican woman to be elected to Congress. We have 4 Republican women governors, 6 women senators, and a total of 698 legislative, secretary of state and Lt. Governors – an increase of 51 seats. The 2014 Hawaii LDD speaker, Martha McSally, was elected to congress to fill the seat formerly held by Gabbie Giford. She won by 161 votes after a recount.
The national party has established a year round presence in our communities throughout the country, and has built the best digital and data program our party has ever seen. Our permanent presence in minority communities, including African American, Hispanic and Asian, created the margin of victory in many of our elections.
The dates of the 2016 Republican National Convention were announced. It will be held in Cleveland, Ohio on July 18-21, 2016. The convention will be significantly earlier than previous elections cycles, allowing access to crucial general election funds earlier than ever before to give our nominee a strong advantage heading into Election Day. Delegates must be elected by June 3, 2016.
The Primary debate schedule was rolled out. It was instituted by Chr. Priebus, and will allow Republicans to bring their ideas and vision to Americans in a timely and efficient manner. The shorter debate calendar, which will include 9 sanctioned debates between now and March 1, 2016, with the first debate occurring in Ohio in August 2015. It will be hosted by Fox News. All debates will include a larger conservative media presence, and will allow campaigns to know and plan the debate schedule early.
Click here for the debate schedule.
Reince Priebus and Sharon Day were re-elected as Chairman and Co-Chairman of the RNC, as was our Treasurer, Tony Parker, and we elected Susie Hudson as our new secretary. Veteran fundraiser and businessman, Lew Eisenberg, was appointed the new Finance Chairman for the RNC. Lew is a veteran fundraiser and financier who previously served as Chairman of the Port Authority of NY and NJ. He went on to serve on the board of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp, the agency that led the efforts to rebuild after the 911 attacks. Our party is extremely fortunate to have Lew Eisenberg as our Finance Chairman.
Washington NCM, Jeff Kent and I were re-elected as Vice Chairs of the Western Region to represent the West on the Executive Committee.
The focus of the RNC’s efforts throughout the country for the next two years is to build on the success of the 2014 election cycle , and to replicate these efforts to elect a Republican President in 2016. The march to the White House will be a 50 state strategy, which will ask all parties to learn to use the digital and grassroots tools that led to our winning Republican majorities in the House and the Senate.
Important Hawaii Events:
You are urged to attend the statewide Republican Party Caucuses where we will elect district and precinct officers. These individuals will lead the charge in our neighborhoods throughout the state in identifying Republican- leaning voters. Delegates from each district will be elected at the Caucuses, The delegates will then represent their districts at the May 2nd State Convention at the Kroc Center in Kapolei. Caucuses are open to anyone who is a registered voter, and who has signed a party card here by January 25, 2015. The district organization is crucial to developing the field operation necessary to help our candidates win elections. Oahu and neighbor island times and locations are posted on gophawaii.com.
All party members and like minded friends are urged to attend the Lincoln Day Dinner on Thursday, February 19th, where our speaker will be U.S. Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, a rising star in the U.S. Senate Republican Majority.
Click here to reserve your table or seat.
The message from our National Republican Party is one of optimism and great opportunity. With our strong bench of Presidential candidates, the record of our current President, and our winning strategies tested in 2014, we feel confident thatwe can and must win the White House in 2016.
Let us work together in unity of purpose to elect candidates who represent all of the citizens in our state. In the words of Ronald Reagan “It is within our power to mold the future – this year and for decades to come. It can be as grand and as great as we make it….No crisis is beyond the capacity of our people to solve; no challenge too great.”
Aloha,
Miriam Hellreich
Hawaii Republican National Committeewoman