Is the Hawaii GOP Dead?
Lets investigate. Is the Hawaii GOP dead? With only 5 state representatives in the House of Representatives and no other representation other than a few non-partisan seats in municipal government the Hawaiian GOP has gone from a growing phoenix coming from the ashes back to ineptitude. Will it die? I dont think so. Will it remain where it is now for the next 3 years? Probably. Lets look at where the GOP could make inroads and solidify itself.
First off the GOP in Hawaii did manage to offset its previous Presidential loss in 2012. It went from losing the state by 42% in 2012 with President Obama at the top of the ballot to losing it by 32%. One would then think that would translate to the HI GOP maintaining at least what it had already controlled in the legislature and federal level right? Nope. It lost its one seat in the State Senate and one of Hawaiis most conservative-leaning seats by Hawaii standards in an upset.
What seats could be in play for the GOP in 2018?
HI-SD-23 As we all know Hawaii is the first state in many years to have one of its legislative chambers be in control by entirely one party. That may change in 2018 as the HIGOP has the chance to make amends and re-target the most Republican-leaning state senate seat in the state. The seat is currently held by State Senator Gil Riviere, a former Republican-turned-Democrat who defeated the conservative Republican State Representative Richard Fale (R) for the seat in 2014. The GOP has a shot to take the seat if they could get a good candidate like Former Representative Colleen Meyer (R) to run again or someone of that caliber. The PVI of this seat is D+7.
HI-HD-31 This seat is held by former House Minority Leader Aaron Johnson (D). When he was a Republican Johnson would win this seat by huge margins. Now that he is a Democrat he is doing the same. However, the Republicans in Hawaii remember that Johnson switched and would like to gain back a seat that by Hawaii standards is not too Democratic. The seat has a PVI of D+15 is the most Democratic on this list of seats to possibly target.
Read more: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/4/30/1657425/-Is-the-Hawaii-GOP-Dead