Former congressman Charles Djou (R., Hawaii) tells National Review Online he is “currently not a candidate for public office.” “It is still my desire one day to get back into public service,” he adds. “But I’m not sure if getting back into public service means elected office. I’m not sure if it means 2012. I’m not sure if it means the Senate. Senator Akaka’s retirement announcement is still relatively fresh.”
Djou’s career illustrates the challenges Republicans face in the Aloha State. After winning a special election in May 2010, Djou lost re-election to Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D.) in November. “Hawaii remains a state where the power of the unions is still very strong,” Djou warns. “We also are a little bit isolated as one of the noncontiguous states, so national trends don’t always directly impact or immediately impact our state.”
That said, Djou thinks Republicans can improve their electoral prospects. “I think the general public is becoming more independent. It has shown an increasing willingness to consider Republican candidates. Perhaps the biggest challenge for Republicans is finding good strong candidates who can carry a message.”
One such candidate might be former governor Linda Lingle. “I think she would make an outstanding United States senator,” Djou says. “The best illustration of Governor Lingle’s abilities is 2006. In 2006, it was a highly toxic environment for the GOP nationally, but she managed to win reelection not only by a large landslide but by the largest margin in the history of the state.” Indeed, Lingle won reelection with 62 percent of the vote. “That clearly shows her ability to communicate with voters even in a very difficult political environment,” Djou concludes.