Prosecutor candidates kick off public series at Leeward’s Waiʻanae Moku

Forums feature 2020 candidates for public office

News Release from Leeward Community College, Feb 18, 2020

Three public forums highlighting major races for public offices on Oʻahu are scheduled to be held at Leeward Community College’s Waiʻanae Moku campus this spring.

Waiʻanae Moku Director Danny Wyatt said, “The goals of the forums are to provide information that we hope will lead to good decision-making. Our students come from Waiʻanae and know, first-hand, how difficult it is to navigate a safe and successful life journey when the foundation of that life was sometimes rocky to begin with. As an institution, we want to encourage both our students and our community to aim high, learn more, and participate.”

The first forum in Waiʻanae Moku’s Spring 2020 Speakers Series will be held on Thursday, February 27, 6:30–8:30 p.m. in room 125, on the Waiʻanae Moku campus. The evening focuses on candidates for the Office of Public Prosecutor. Four of the five invited candidates are participating:

Judge Steve Alm
Attorney R.J. Brown
Public Defender Jaqui Esser
Attorney Tae Kim

Attorney Megan Kau is unable to participate due to an earlier commitment.

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served, compliments of State Senator Maile Shimabukuro, a co-sponsor for the event.

The series’ focus is to enlighten the Leeward community about issues that will affect them in the future. Additional forums are planned for March and April; one focusing on the race for Honolulu mayor and the other for Honolulu city council.

Lynette Cruz, speaker series coordinator and political science lecturer at Waiʻanae Moku, said, “The idea for this series is the result of requests from several community members who are considering the implications of what happens when they don’t vote. They would like to meet the candidates and to learn more. The forums seemed the most effective way to bring the information to them.”

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