Retired Air Force colonel is elected to lead isle GOP

Shirlene Ostrov, a retired Air Force colonel and founder of a logistics consulting company, defeated state House Minority Leader Andria Tupola (R, Kalaeloa- Ko Olina-Maili) at the party’s state convention Saturday on Kauai to become the new chairwoman of the Hawaii Republican Party.

The Mililani resident garnered 245 of 356 votes cast in the election. She will succeed outgoing Chairman Fritz Rohlfing, whose two-year term is expiring.

Ostrov served in the Air Force from 1991 to 2014 and currently serves as the president and chief executive officer of Ares Mobility Solutions. Her lone bid for political office came in 2016 when she ran unsuccessfully against Colleen Hanabusa to fill the U.S. House seat vacated by Mark Takai.

Ostrov will guide a party that continues to operate at a severe disadvantage in the state Legislature, with just five House Republicans and zero representation in the Senate.

Also elected Saturday were Pat Saiki as vice chairwoman for coordinated campaigns; Lorraine Shin, vice chairwoman for candidate recruitment and training; Jonathan Kunimura, vice chairman for communications; Mele Songsong, vice chairwoman for community service; Cheryl Sora, vice chairwoman for coalitions; Jennifer Anderson, secretary; and Gwen Honjo, treasurer.

The two-day convention was held at the Aqua Kauai Beach Resort in Lihue.

Saiki served two terms in the House, 1987-1991, giving up her seat to challenge U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, appointed to fill out the term of the late U.S. Sen. Spark Matsunaga. After her loss in that race, she served as head of the Small Business Administration under President George H.W. Bush.

She also ran against Gov. Ben Cayetano in 1994.

None of the other new officers has held elective office.