Hawaii Republicans flock to caucus

KAILUA-KONA — It was the first time Linda Akins had volunteered at a caucus.

Preparing coffee in a social area outside the polls at Kealakehe High School, Akins indicated that Tuesday evening’s vote meant more than selecting a candidate. It was about getting back to something essential in the nation’s politics.

“We need to help people to become stronger and have initiative,” said Akins, who favors Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. “Do we give people a fish or do we teach them to fish?”

“We need to get back to a government of, for and by the people, not by the elite, and certainly not by a socialist agenda that some are using to try to win,” she said. “Cruz does what he says. He doesn’t have favorites, doesn’t have people in his back pocket. He wants to be of the people, not the special interests.”

It was crush turnout — nothing like 2012, when the entire island cast 1,417 votes — poll workers said. Cruz seemed to be the name on many lips just beyond the ballot box. Trump figured large in the scene as well as a sustained line stretched from the cafeteria far down the walkway.

Don Gomez, a staunch Kailua-Kona Republican who has attended many caucuses, was having a great night.

“I’m gonna sit here and just take it in,” he said after casting his vote for Trump. “The turnout is fantastic. It’s a shock to me. It’s so encouraging and exciting. Trump’s got people excited. He’s going to crush the establishment and that’s what it’s all about.”

Presidential caucus goers were set to determine with their votes the proportion of Hawaii’s 19 delegates to the Republican National Convention that each candidate receives. Held in Cleveland, in July, the convention will nominate an official candidate for the November general election. In total, a candidate must win 1,237 delegates to win the nomination.

For Jim Johnson, holding onto a cup of java, it was partially the social scene that brought him out — the chance to see who else was there and visit with others from his church.

“I think the worst part is Donald is at the top and the others are yelling at him and we’re not getting to the issues: What are you going to do?” Johnson said. “I think we’d all be embarrassed to have Donald as president.”

Not so for Kailua-Kona resident Kathleen Irwin.

“He’s going to make America great again,” she said. “He has no hands in his pockets. He creates his own money.”

Irwin wants ISIS gone. She said she was born in Southern California and has witnessed its immigrant problems. She’s worried about border security.

“We just need to nip it,” she said. “Trump can do that.”

For Penny Lopez, who cast her ballot for Cruz, the issues weren’t complicated ones.

“He’s a constitutionalist, Trump is a liar, Hillary is evil,” she said.

Hawaii was one of four Republican contests Tuesday that also included Michigan, Mississippi and Idaho and a total stake of 150 delegates. Trump was prevailing in the first of those two states and Cruz was taking Idaho, with Hawaii results incomplete at press time.

With 51 percent return reported, as of press time, Trump led the state with 45.21 percent of the vote. Cruz was second at 31.29 percent. Trump appeared ready to take Hawaii County. At 70 percent reported he had 51 percent, with Cruz in second at 27 percent.

Voting here was held at 10 sites islandwide, locations which are different from normal precinct voting locations.

Trump’s pledge to take care of veterans helped win Dan Boyle over.

“It’s well overdue,” he said. “We’ve been put on hold way too long.”

Ron and Victoria Sanders were also looking for a shakeup of the establishment — but not an insane one.

“We don’t want to vote for the crazy person,” said Ron Sanders, who cast his ballot for Cruz. “The establishment hates Cruz.”

“Therefore he has my vote,” his wife said.

Trump has a lot of anger backing him, Sanders said, but in the end, he doubted “The Donald” could hold up to Hillary Clinton.

“People want things to change,” he said. “He would definitely do that.”