Good standing
By ddepledge
State Democrats determined on Saturday that Laura H. Thielen, a former director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources under Gov. Linda Lingle, is not eligible to run as a Democrat for state Senate in the August primary.
The party’s state central committee voted to sustain a decision by Oahu Democrats that Thielen would not be a party member in good standing for the minimum six months required before filing as a candidate for elected office.
“It’s not one single voice making this decision,” said Dante Carpenter, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawaii. “This is a group of people who represent the Democratic Party from throughout the entire state of Hawaii.”
Thielen, who lives in Waimanalo and described herself as a long-time Democrat, said she filled out her party card in February and intended to run in the Democratic primary in state Senate District 25, which covers Waimanalo and Hawaii Kai. The filing deadline for candidates this year is in early June, since the primary was moved up to August to accommodate a federal law that protects overseas and military voters.
State Sen. Pohai Ryan, a Democrat in her first term, represents the district.
Thielen said she was looking at her options but is not inclined to accept the party’s decision. The party’s constitution allows for exceptions to the “good standing” rule for candidates who apply for party membership less than six months before the filing deadline. Oahu Democrats and the state central committee declined to grant Thielen an exception.
“It appears that there is an attempt by many of the party’s leaders, especially on Oahu, to pre-select who voters can vote for to represent them,” she said.
Thielen, a former state school board member, was an advocate for Lingle’s failed attempt to break up the state Department of Education into local school districts with elected school boards. She was chosen by the Republican governor as the director of the state Office of Planning and then as the director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Thielen is the daughter of state Rep. Cynthia Thielen (R, Kailua-Kaneohe), who is well regarded by many Democrats for her stances on environmental protection and social issues such as civil unions. Laura Thielen managed her mother’s unsuccessful campaign against U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, in 2006.
Thielen has donated money to her mother’s and to Lingle’s campaigns but she said she has never been a Republican. She said she wanted to run for state Senate this year after seeing proposals in the Legislature to weaken environmental protection and government transparency.
“I have never been a member of the Republican Party. I have declined offers to join the Republican Party,” she said. “I have always identified myself as a Democrat.”
Democrats, who have dominated Hawaii politics since the 1950s, have overwhelming majorities in the state House and Senate and hold the governor’s office and the state’s congressional delegation.
Over the past several years, the party has welcomed new members – state Sen. Mike Gabbard and state Rep. Karen Awana – who had been elected as Republicans but wanted to switch parties.
Democrats have embraced a “big tent” philosophy, but many of the party’s activists have been concerned that Democratic candidates and elected officials have not been faithful to the party’s platform. Some Democrats have also wanted to close the party’s primaries to party members only to prevent independents and Republicans from influencing the party’s selections.
The “good standing” rule allows the party to screen candidates and prevent potential abuses. For example, Lingle appointed Bev Harbin to fill a Democratic vacancy in the state House in 2005, and it was later discovered that Harbin had just joined the party to qualify for the appointment and that she owed back state taxes and had misdemeanor criminal convictions for writing bad checks.
“The Democrats have felt that people were just becoming opportunists to join the party or run in the party because they thought that they couldn’t win if they ran and they didn’t have a `D’’ by their names,” said Lynne Matusow, an Oahu Democrat who serves on the state central committee.
Political Radar
April 1st, 2012 at 8:56 am
It’s funny, the party wants weak elected officials in place so it can force a partisan agenda, and the elected officials want a weak party so they can pander as needed to special interests…
The result is that in end the state is totally run by a few lobbyists, a couple of developers and key union bosses.
This isn’t productive for our people.
April 1st, 2012 at 4:45 pm
So, the Democrats are willing to accept defectors from the GOP when that defector already holds an office, even tho’ those new members hold the same GOP views after the switch (anti-civil unions, for instance), but they’re not willing to make their incumbent members defend their positions against new(er) party members who have not met some arbitrary membership deadline, even though the new(er) members’ positions may align more closely with the party platfrom than those of the incumbent member?
Cowards, you Democrats are. Hypocrites, too.
Yet another reason why I have not been — nor will I ever be — a member of any political party.
April 1st, 2012 at 6:34 pm
This is good, at last a party with some gumption to finally vet candidates. I wonder if Thielen even was even straight forward to the press?
Why did Laura Thielen wait till the last possible moment to run as a democrat? As if you’re going to get busted for being a democrat in a republican administration? I never saw William Cohen, Secretary of Defense who was also a Maine republican lawmaker work for Bill Clinton.
Just some random thoughts.
April 1st, 2012 at 10:41 pm
“This is a decision that should not be made by one person sitting in her office or by members of the Majority Party behind closed doors in a legislative caucus, but by all the people of Hawaii behind the curtain of the voting booth.” ~ lingle on her civil union veto speech.
“It’s not one single voice making this decision,” said Dante Carpenter, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawaii. “This is a group of people who represent the Democratic Party from throughout the entire state of Hawaii.”
Deja Vu?
Accepting Laura H. Thielen would be a divine forgiveness, since she errs. Republicans Party would call her a “Benedict Arnold” and pay her severance pay in 30 pieces of silver.
April 1st, 2012 at 11:38 pm
Anyone who knew Laura before Auntie Linda knew she really was – and is – a D. I cant believe the Ds are having this debate over Laura when there are GABBARDs loose on the street. This is 1000000% about trying to protect the incumbent, Pohai Ryan. And thats what makes this so lame.
April 2nd, 2012 at 11:13 am
@Hmmm,
While I appreciate the wit and symmetry of your observation, let me suggest it misstates the reality. While I agree the part wants to promote a “partisan agenda” (I mean, that is kind of a tautology) and the elected officials prefer the party be weak, I see no evidence the “party wants weak elected officials.” I think your imposed that stretch for the sake of an esthetically pleasing, ironic symmetry.
April 3rd, 2012 at 6:07 pm
Sounds like standing room only on an imaginary Rail.
April 4th, 2012 at 9:19 am
So the Democratic Party allowed Mike Gabbard, a Republican who holds anti-gay views in direct opposition to the Party Platform to change parties and become a Democrat. I remember all the talk about a “Big Tent.” BUT it won’t allow Thielen to join the Party, despite the fact that she supports the platform and was never a member of the Hawaii Republican Party. Guess the tent is full?
Here is why I will do for the party. I will formally resign as a member of the Hawaii Democratic Party, that way there will be room in the tent for one more person. Seriously, this is such nonsense and makes the party look petty. I am a proud lifelong Democrat but freely admit that hard core partisan D leaders are just as bad as their R counterparts. They all deserve each other.
If I lived in the district and Thielen ends up running as an independent, I would vote for her just to send a message to the Party that it’s actions are unacceptable. But since I don’t live in the district, if she does end up running, I will send her a donation.
April 4th, 2012 at 3:46 pm
Why should we be divided by parties when both parties have good ideas? As I said in past comments US is still fighting a Civil War and we the people are stuck in the middle.
This is not the Mainland, this is Hawaii. With tornadoes and hail, this is becoming like the Mainland. Now I am unhappy.
April 5th, 2012 at 9:39 am
@Goober – as someone who has lived on the mainland and Hawaii, I can assure you that partisanship and general nastiness is as alive and well in Hawaii as it is on the mainland. In fact, many of the Democratic Party activists in Hawaii are as rigid, intolerant, and inflexible in their orthodoxy as they claim about their Republican counterparts. And I say this as a Democrat myself.
April 6th, 2012 at 3:13 pm
Seems I am being preached to by a missionary.
I guess Unhappy Democrat you voted for lingle. she was all for “bi”partisanship as in rinos, neocons, left and right. she questioned President Obama who was born in Hawaii and lingle was not. she was for her party and not Hawaii.
I too lived on the Mainland and am born and raised in Hawaii. Europe, Med, South America as well. I visited and left their politics alone and I enjoyed. Not as some White American who interject their beliefs on what should be and what should be done. What else you have to say Unhappy Democrat? If you are unhappy you can always move out. Preach to someone else.