Editorial: For lieutenant governor’s race, it’s Sylvia Luke

Several strong candidates for lieutenant governor are in the race. But the best person to fill the role is Sylvia Luke — the most experienced, strategic and battle-tested candidate.

Hawaii will be served well by this knowledgeable, veteran lawyer and legislator, who has worked her way up from a young South Korean immigrant who did not speak English to chairwoman of the powerful state House Committee on Finance, establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with.

Luke has a firm grasp of the issues facing Hawaii — and beyond that, knows in great detail what must be done to make change and monitor outcomes. In her Senate role, she has become intimately familiar with the costs and processes involved in implementing strategy, whether that be creating thousands of preschool classrooms, building housing or helping to find a way forward on a flashpoint issue such as the Thirty Meter Telescope proposed for Mauna Kea.

Luke displays a studied familiarity with budget figures and state agency responsibilities, as well as a passion for avoiding waste and delay in delivering services. She is best equipped to deal with some of the looming problems the state faces over the next four years, including the housing crisis, education budget and staffing shortfalls plus the need to shore up Hawaii’s infrastructure and economy against the effects of climate change.

A story Luke tells gives an indication of her willingness to seek collaboration, but also her ambition and determination to be a key player: When Ige faced strong competition from Colleen Hanabusa for his reelection campaign in 2018, many legislators, including Luke, broke ranks with the governor to endorse Hanabusa. Yet after Ige won reelection, Luke sought out a meeting with him and kept communications open, necessary to optimize lawmaking.

During Ige’s second term, as claims for unemployment overwhelmed the state during the COVID-19 pandemic, Luke stepped forward to “help the governor” set up a satellite office at the Hawaii Convention Center, signing up hundreds of volunteers to process claims and ease the logjam. This kind of initiative could indeed serve an incoming governor well.

Ikaika Anderson, Luke’s strongest competitor on the Democratic ticket, also has leadership and legislative experience, and a passion for service. Sherry Menor-McNamara offers the intriguing possibility of building productive links with Hawaii’s private sector. And Keith Amemiya’s enthusiasm for athletics could bode well for the Aloha Stadium project. Luke, nonetheless, has the deepest experience and facility with state governance.

Daniel Cunningham and Sam Puletasi also appear on the Democratic ballot. Republicans in the running are Rob Burns, Tae Kim and Seaula Tupai. Charles (Kale) Keoho is running a nonpartisan campaign.