Hoping to buck the historical trend that the party that holds the White House loses seats in the midterms, Republicans are focused on a national strategy to get out the vote this fall.

That strategy extends to Hawaiʻi, where the local GOP hopes to build on gains in the Legislature in the 2024 election.

The key to that, Hawaiʻi Republicans were told Saturday at their state convention at the Kroc Center in ʻEwa Beach, is to inspire hardcore Donald Trump supporters in a year when he is not on the ballot.

“We’ve got to get our Trump people, who maybe don’t normally vote in the midterms, because they think the presidential election is all they care about,” said Scott Smart, the Hawaiʻi GOP’s national committeeman. “We need to get them to understand they need to get involved, they need to vote this November, and it’s not only in these contested seats, that’s also for us in Hawaiʻi.”

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Should the GOP grow its numbers beyond the 11 in the 51-member state House and three in the 25-member Senate, it could have a serious impact on policy. 

Rep. Diamond Garcia, who served as the convention chair, told over 100 delegates that it’s doable.

“There is momentum growing,” he said. “People want change.”

But to change minds, delegates also heard at the convention, candidates need to focus on key issues rather than be distracted by lesser priorities.

The top issues, said Daniel Silver, CEO of a political technology, marketing and data company called Right Insight, are “protecting ʻohana” — that is, crime and safety — and “keeping Hawaiʻi affordable” — that is, cost of living, which includes keeping young people from leaving for the mainland.

“That hits home every time,” he said, saying it was a sentiment that crosses party lines. “That hits the moms hard.”

The GOP’s state convention comes as President Trump’s polling numbers are at their nadir. The war in Iran is fueling inflation and making gas and food much more expensive.

Republicans currently control not only the White House but both houses of Congress. The GOP also enjoys a plurality of state legislatures and a 6-3 majority on the U.S. Supreme Court.

But control of the Congress is uncertain. In Hawaiʻi, meantime, the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi (which holds its state convention later this month) remains solidly entrenched. The deadline to file for elected office is not until June 2, but Democrats have good reason to feel they will maintain their political control, which includes all four seats in Congress.

As of Friday, a total of 129 Democrats had pulled papers to run for office compared to just 61 for Republicans. And Gov. Josh Green had yet to draw a serious primary challenger.

Gary Cordery, the likely Republican nominee for governor, was among the dozens of GOP candidates at the convention.

Still, Shirlene Ostrov, the party chair, told convention delegates that the party is united “by something greater than ourselves.” 

“We have a love for Hawaiʻi, a love for our country, and a commitment for preserving freedom,” she said, adding the convention should reflect “the very best of who we are — passionate in our convictions, respectful in our disagreements, gracious with one another, and always focus on the bigger mission before us. Because when Republicans in Hawaiʻi stand united, organized and forward-looking, we are a force to be reckoned with.”

Calls For ‘Election Integrity’

Smart, the national committeeman, said the RNC believes the 2026 midterms will have a different outcome than the 2018 midterms, when the GOP lost control of the House and narrowly held on to the Senate. Two years later, the House would impeach Trump, although he was acquitted both times in the Senate.

The big difference, said Smart, is that many more seats were in play eight years ago. Polling, he said, showed the GOP doing well in the seven contested Senate seats and 35 in the House this year.

Republicans, he said, had also benefited from recent favorable court rulings on redistricting and lawsuits trying to obtain voter rolls in an attempt to root out noncitizens whom Republicans believe side with Democrats.

Perhaps the most well-received speaker was Ralph Cushnie, the member of the Hawaiʻi Elections Commission who for several years now has argued that the state is not following its own election laws and declining requests for audits. He recounted his battles on the commission (he described it as an “antagonistic” experience) and encouraged future election observers to keep an eye on the chain of custody of ballots and to help verify ballot signatures.

“We can’t even verify the chain of custody documentations of the number of envelopes received through the mail or through drop boxes, so basically none of the laws that are supposed to safeguard mail-in voting or using a computer to count our votes are being followed,” he said.

The party may have put up a unified front, but local Republicans have a long history of internal division. The party has had three chairs within the past year and several party officials recently resigned over fights with leadership. And it has struggled with funds

But treasurer Lani Kaaa said the party today has $1.1 million in assets. For the first time, chapters in each of the counties now have their own separate bank accounts so they don’t have to go through the state party for reimbursements. The chapters can also deposit donations directly into their accounts.

Delegates also approved a resolution to move their presidential party caucus from mid-March to before Super Tuesday, held earlier in March or in February. Doing so, the party reasoned, would make the state a factor in presidential campaigns where early-voting states like Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada have outsize influence.

As with any political convention, there was effusive praise for leaders and the tossing of a little red meat to the faithful. But there was also a hint that trouble could lie ahead. Gas prices, for example, were mentioned by several attendees.

“President Trump has been in office for just over a year, and he has started to make incredible progress towards putting America first after years of Biden Democrats destroying our country,” said Joe Gruters, chair of the RNC, who beamed in via video from Florida, where he is a member of the Florida State Senate. “We are fighting uphill battles, so we shouldn’t take Democrats’ current weakness for granted. With your support for President Trump and the Republican Party, we will make sure we maintain our majorities in Congress all four years of President Trump’s term.”

The Hawaiʻi Republican Convention was held one day before a prayer event set for Sunday on the National Mall. Rededicate 250 is sponsored by the Trump administration.

On Saturday, the Hawaiʻi GOP passed a memorial resolution to rededicate the country as “one nation under God.” Marie Ruhland, chair of East Hawaiʻi Republicans, led attendees in prayer.

“We pray for a rededication to you, Lord God, Creator of this universe in Hawaiʻi, in our families, our communities, and our state,” she said. “We ask for wisdom and guidance to our leaders of the state and to the leaders of our Hawaiʻi Republican Party. Bless this state convention and let it be to your glory and honor.”

Ruhland then quoted from 2 Chronicles 7:14, and not a few attendees joined in: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”