Gary Cordery, the owner of a contracting company, has emerged victorious in the Republican primary for the governor of Hawaii. He defeated Ken Fujiyama, a business owner, and will now challenge the Democratic incumbent, Governor Josh Green, in the upcoming November election. The contest appears to strongly favor Green, as the Cook Political Report rates it as Solid Democratic with a Partisan Voting Index of D+13.
Cordery faces significant hurdles due to Hawaii’s political landscape, which hasn’t seen a Republican governor since Linda Lingle left office in 2010. Additionally, Green enjoys a 56% approval rating among voters, and a substantial financial advantage, having raised approximately $3.5 million compared to Cordery’s roughly $313,000, according to Honolulu Civil Beat.
Despite these challenges, Cordery is campaigning on a platform focused on reducing Hawaii’s high living costs, reforming the education system, and tackling corruption. He expressed his passion for Hawaii, stating, “As a husband, father and grandfather, businessman and community servant, I love Hawai’i. These islands of unique beauty have endured mismanagement for decades. Her people live under tremendous stress and anxiety. I am running to open opportunity, create abundance and ensure stewardship of her resources, bringing accountability and hope for the people.”
Part of Cordery’s vision includes constructing 15,000 homes across the islands, specifically targeting working families, with price points between $400,000 and $600,000. His proposal entails utilizing state-owned land for fee-simple housing, simplifying permitting processes, and unlocking more land for residential development.
Moreover, Cordery is advocating for the elimination of the state’s General Excise Tax on food and medicine. He also suggests freezing property taxes for retirees. Cordery stresses the importance of restoring proper management of taxpayers’ dollars and promises to conduct audits to expose and eliminate wasteful spending.
Cordery highlighted the discrepancy between Hawaii’s $20.5 billion budget for 1.4 million residents and New Hampshire’s $7.75 billion budget for the same population, arguing that Hawaii’s tax burden needs to be addressed. He stated, “Hawai’i’s 20.5 billion dollar budget for 1.4 million people is a staggering number. New Hampshire has 1.4 million people but a $7.75 billion dollar budget. I believe our tax burden is out of control. The answer is management.”
Leave a Reply