DGA Statement on the General Election for Governor of Hawaii

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, Chair of the Democratic Governors Association, today issued the following statement regarding the upcoming general election for governor of Hawaii:
“First, I’d like to thank my friend Governor Neil Abercrombie for his decades of outstanding service to the people of Hawaii. As governor, Neil didn’t make decisions based on what he thought would be popular – he made them based on what he knew was the right thing to do. He inherited a mess, but because of his steadfast leadership, the state is now back on strong financial footing, businesses are creating jobs at a rapid clip, and investing in a world–class education system and affordable housing are finally priorities.
“The last thing the people of Hawaii need now is to go back to the failed Republican policies of the Lingle-Aiona administration. On their watch, unemployment surged to the highest level in a quarter century, a $732 million surplus was turned into a $1 billion deficit, and Furlough Fridays gave the state the shortest school year in the nation.
“David Ige won’t allow that to happen again. He will lead in the tradition of strong Democratic governors who are working every day to create jobs, strengthen the middle class, and expand economic opportunity to all. He’ll make smart investments in education, energy, workforce training, innovation and technology. And he’ll do it in a bipartisan, fiscally responsible way. That’s what the people of Hawaii need in a governor, and that’s what they’ll get when they reject the failed Lingle-Aiona record and elect David Ige in November.”

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