Republicans prepared for tonight’s presidential caucus with a flurry of activity Monday that included a campaign stop by former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, and a scathing open letter by former U.S. Rep. Charles Djou criticizing billionaire Donald Trump.
Djou, who is supporting Ohio Gov. John Kasich in the caucus voting tonight, urged his fellow Hawaii Republicans to reject Trump for displaying “selfish immaturity unworthy of leading the greatest nation on earth.”
Djou, who served in Congress in 2010 and 2011, acknowledged Trump has tapped into a vein of discontent that has propelled his election effort. “Yet, rather than channel this authentic frustration into a constructive force to better our wonderful nation, Mr. Trump has built his presidential campaign around ugliness and anger,” Djou wrote.
Kimo Sutton, co-chairman of the Trump campaign in Hawaii, said Djou is an example of the establishment Republicans who are afraid of “the gigantic sweep of the country” for Trump. The voters don’t want the establishment anymore, Sutton said.
“What they have done is attack Trump and not be advocates for their candidate,” Sutton said of the GOP establishment and Djou. “We’re really hoping that the poison doesn’t affect him anymore from his upset … that’s a lot of poison that he’s putting out.”
Other activities Monday included a closed-door luncheon with Hawaii Republicans and Santorum, who was an unsuccessful candidate for president in 2012 and is now campaigning for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.
Hawaii Republicans will gather at 44 sites today for voting to decide how many of the state’s 19 delegates will be awarded to each of the remaining GOP presidential candidates. Voting begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 8 p.m.
Caucus voting is open only to registered voters who are party members, but party officials will be equipped to register people to vote on the spot and to help them to sign Republican Party cards to become official members. Participants must bring photo identification, organizers said.
Four of the six Republican candidates who qualified to compete in the caucus voting in Hawaii are still active. They are Trump, Rubio, Kasich and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson also qualified for the Hawaii caucuses, but both have since dropped out of the race.
On Monday, former Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona endorsed Rubio, calling him “the best candidate to bring trust, respect and balance to our federal government.” He made the announcement on his afternoon radio show, “808 State Update,” on KKNE AM 940 when he was interviewing Santorum.
After Carson quit the race last week, Hawaii’s lone Republican in the state Senate, Sam Slom, switched his endorsement from Carson to Cruz.
———
For a list of the Hawaii GOP caucus sites for tonight’s vote, go to 808ne.ws/1Qz36Vy.
