Union members in Hawaii made their votes count and their voices heard in the 2004 elections. They worked extra hard to elect candidates who shared their views and would best represent their interests as workers. Volunteers made thousands of phone calls and went house-to-house to talk to fellow union members. They registered new voters, mailed tens of thousands of leaflets, put signs in their yards, talked to their co-workers and families, waved at motorists, and they turned out in large numbers to vote for union-endorsed candidates.

The results of their hard work showed in a number of stunning victories in the November 2004 elections. Although John Kerry failed to beat George Bush in the nation-wide vote, he won by 54% in Hawaii. Dan Inouye and Neil Abercrombie were re-elected by wide margins to Congress. In the Hawaii State Legislature, a total of 51 labor supported candidates won their elections—42 incumbents were returned to office and nine newcomers were elected, defeating six of the more antilabor incumbent Republicans in the process. Only one labor-endorsed incumbent, Romeo Mindo, lost his election.

In the months before the election, Governor Lingle and the Republicans were convinced they would gain as many as 8 more
seats in the House of Representatives. They targeted 15 incumbent Democrats, ran some of their best candidates against
them, and provided money to finance their campaigns. Lingle personally and actively campaigned for these Republican
challengers—something not done by any previous sitting governor. The Republicans used every opportunity, such as Vice President Cheney’s appearance in Hawaii, to promote their candidates. They flooded voters with slick campaign materials and
used some last minute smear tactics. They also expected Bush to win in Hawaii and carry other Republicans into office.

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