In 1998, Linda Lingle was appointed party chairwoman. She is credited for overhauling its platforms and transforming it into a party that could compete in historically liberal Hawai'i. Her efforts helped secure the governorship for the first time in forty years.
The Hawai'i Republican Party, is an arm of the Republican Party of the United States in Washington, DC. Based in Honolulu, Hawai'i, the party is a central organization established for the promotion of the party platform as it is drafted in convention every other year. It is also charged with registering voters and delivering voter turnout through four major county organizations for Hawai'i, Kaua'i, Mau'i and the City & County of Honolulu. The Hawai'i Republican Party ruled Hawai'i during the territorial period but lost that power during the infancy of Hawai'i statehood. In 2002, it wrestled control of the governorship from the Hawai'i Democratic Party for the first time in forty years.
As compared with the national Republican Party, Republicans in Hawaii who hold elective office tend to be moderates. As a whole, they advocate limited government, lower taxes, decentralized control of public schools, and improving Hawaii's business climate. However, on social issues such as abortion, they tend to be somewhat less conservative than the national party as a whole. For example, Republican Governor Linda Lingle is pro-choice but favors parental notification.
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