*Interview/story by Wendy Osher; Video: David Christy; Video Edit: Gaylord Garcia
Governor David Ige is seeking reelection to a second term as governor of the state of Hawaiʻi. He is among a list of 13 candidates in the running, and one of six who have filed papers under the Democratic Party.
David Ige began his term as the eighth governor of the State of Hawai‘i on Dec. 1, 2014. According to his campaign, his accomplishments include Early College, a program enabling high school students the ability to earn college credits for free; funding Hawai‘i’s Promise to make college more affordable; and cooling over 1,300 classrooms statewide.
Ige stopped by our Maui Now studios over the weekend for an interview with News Director Wendy Osher, where he shared with us his thoughts on housing, homelessness and the cost of living.
According to Ige’s campaign, the state experienced record visitor numbers under his leadership, which they say “contributed to a robust economy and affirmed Hawai‘i’s global position as a leader in tourism.”
Supporters say Governor Ige also worked to protect nearly 40,000 acres of watershed forests, created thousands of affordable homes and rentals and advanced a state policy to ensure that 100% of the electricity generated in Hawaiʻi will come from renewable energy resources by the year 2045,.
Earlier in his career, Ige was appointed to a seat in the House of Representatives in 1985, where he served until he was elected to the State Senate in 1995. During his time in the Legislature, he chaired nine different committees including Education, Health, and the Ways and Means Committee.
