Editor's note: HPR's Senior Government Reporter Audrey McAvoy previously reported on the lieutenant governor campaigns of state Rep. Della Au Belatti and Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami.
Civil trial lawyer John Choi is among those vying to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for lieutenant governor, one of the most closely watched races in Hawaiʻi's Aug. 8 primary election.
Lieutenant governor is a relatively low-profile job but it has the potential to lead to higher office down the line.
Choi said he decided to run after seeing many powerful Democrats rally behind Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami.
He thought Kawakami would be sure to win, and then emerge victorious in an eventual run for governor in the 2030 election.
“When I saw that the Democratic political machine was pushing a candidate, I thought, my goodness, we can't have another 12 years of the same politics, of the same no change and big money speaking over the needs of the people,” Choi said in a phone interview with HPR.
Choi has run for office once before. Two years ago, he ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary to represent Kapahulu and Kaimukī in the state House.
He wants Hawaiʻi to have publicly financed elections to remove the influence of powerful donors on politics.
“We have been a one-party rule for 60-70 years, and we should be doing so much better than we are now. And I think the big money influence has really corrupted our system, where the working families don't have a voice,” Choi said.
The lieutenant governor doesn’t have major responsibilities under the law and is often working in the background. But it’s a statewide office and doing it can bring a politician name recognition.
The job’s career potential is a major attraction for many. In addition to Gov. Josh Green, U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz have both been lieutenant governors.
Those with the job oversee the legal process when someone changes their name. They also authenticate state documents used overseas.
One key duty is filling in when the governor is away. This can be critical if there’s a wildfire or other natural disaster.
They have so few statutory responsibilities they often have the time and leeway to promote their own preferred projects, said Doug Chin, who served as lieutenant governor for 10 months in 2018 after Shan Tsutsui resigned.
“They can advance certain agendas and policies that are very, very important to them,” Chin said.
Green took the lead on some health issues when he was lieutenant governor. That dovetailed with his experience as an emergency room physician.
Chin says he wasn’t in office long enough to develop his own project, so he continued Tsutsui’s youth sports promotion programs.
Choi said every home should have solar panels and batteries, and Hawaiʻi would be an ideal place for underwater data centers.
Hawaiʻi can be the first in the U.S. in education and environmental protection, he said.
“We can make tremendous strides in improving the lives of Hawaiʻi residents, and that's the message that I want to send,” Choi said.
Mail-in voting is underway. To be counted, ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on August 8th.
