I’ve got some exciting news to share: My old boss and a great public servant, Congressman Neil Abercrombie, is running for Governor of Hawaii! While the official announcement will come tomorrow, this pre-announcement went out via his social media outlets. Here’s a transcript of his Utterli. This is a transcript of his message as spoken not a copy of the message as printed on his website. For more information, visit www.neilabercrombie.com.
Aloha Everyone,
It’s Neil calling. I’m going to be announcing today through you, and then tomorrow more formally, that I’m running for Governor – running for Governor in Hawaii.
Barack Obama brought hope and change to Washington D.C. and I’m running for Governor to bring hope and change to Washington Place.
As Honorary Chairman of the Obama Campaign in Hawaii, I saw how we could run a different kind of campaign that involved and inspired people and ultimately brought change to the Nation. Now, we need to do the same for Hawaii. We need to bring that same change to Hawaii.
I want you to know the Office of Governor is not a stepping stone for me. To me, the Governor is the cornerstone for Hawaii’s future. I know I can leverage my experience and my relationships in Washington and use them for Hawaii’s benefit. I do not have a secondary political agenda.
For too long, I think everybody knows, the interaction between the Governor and Legislature has been one of stalemate and confrontation. We really need a Governor who sees Legislators as partners, not rivals. Particularly during these challenging times, we need strong political leadership that will bring people together to create a far-reaching vision of Hawaii’s future. Just exactly what Barack sought to do and I think accomplished.
Running for Governor is the culmination of my lifetime of public service. I love working with lawmakers, business people, labor, community leaders – everybody. I like to bring that kind of energy. Most of all I love working with you, the people who strive and work everyday, try to build a better life and a better Hawaii. I want to bring that kind of energy that we brought to the Obama campaign, to Hawaii. I know that you often feel let down by Government. You don’t want Government to do everything. But you want it to do what it is supposed to do, and do it well.
So, in the months to come, I’ll be detailing how we can make that change real by concentrating on our economic recovery, on energy independence, on quality education and an environment that means more than just a word.
The Obama campaign brought a new sense of purpose and focus to the entire nation. And that determination to bring a new spirit of participation in politics shouldn’t end with the Inauguration. I’m running for Governor to bring that change to Hawaii, the Hawaii that needs to have that change and wants to believe in it. So let’s get involved, get informed, share your thoughts! Thank you for your continued support over the years. Together, we’ll bring hope and change back to the Hawaii we love. Let’s stay in touch, let’s be friends. As I said, let’s get involved, let’s get informed, let’s share the thoughts. You get to neilabercrombie.com and we’re going all the way to Washington Place next year in the election. See you on the campaign trail.
Aloha and mahalo.
Mahalo!
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