Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman

Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman The World…Through A Hawaii Perspective
The Political, Social, Business Zeitgeist - Analyzed “There is a lot of noise in speaking of the issues of the day.

I created this website to help get to the truth of these matters – through thoughtful analysis of how things are that empowers critical thinkers and invites engagement in conversation.”

From Makakilo, Oahu to Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and then back to Honolulu. Stan Fichtman took that voyage in the early 1990’s. From seeing the political dynamics of the end of colonial Hong Kong to the debate of whether Taiwan was part of China or not, the political dynamics sparked an interest in politics that continues to this day. With a MA in Political Science, Stan has also worked to master the art of living in one of the most expensive cities in the world – Honolulu, Hawaii. He has done this by literally becoming expert on a number of different fronts – from working in a kitchen store in a mall, through working at a newspaper and a staff of a city council member, all the way to working on employment training and managing of federal/state grants – Stan continues to work for the state and its people. All of these experiences has provided Stan a wealth of knowledge on the how’s and why’s of Hawaii, its people. With his international understanding, Stan also has the ability to give perspective and insight of issues going on around the world with trustworthy analysis that his friends have relied on for years. He now provides this insight through this website – Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman. Stan Fichtman lives in Honolulu, Hawaii with his wife Leigh. Stan is one of two generations of his family that was born and raised in Hawaii, and continues the legacy of the Fichtman family in Hawaii, now 53 years long.

An icon of Hawai'i politics has passed away. Among her achievements as an elected official representing the state, she w...
10/01/2026

An icon of Hawai'i politics has passed away. Among her achievements as an elected official representing the state, she was also a gubernatorial candidate in 1994, running against both Ben Cayetano and Frank Fasi. She has been chair of the Republican Party of Hawaii a few times, and is someone who gets respect in any room.

>>>KHON article in the comments

Trump's battle with the press may look unprecedented. But is it?Nearly a century ago, Franklin Roosevelt carefully manag...
09/26/2026

Trump's battle with the press may look unprecedented. But is it?

Nearly a century ago, Franklin Roosevelt carefully managed what the American public saw of him, aided in part by an informal understanding with the press.

Today, nobody seems to agree to those kinds of rules anymore.
So maybe the struggle hasn't changed as much as the way the struggle is fought.

My latest Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman (No. 246):
The President and the press: who sets the terms?

>>>Link in the comments

Senator Kurt Fevellaʻs challenge to the tie-breaking procedure in the Hawaii Supreme Court was heard and was denied. It ...
09/17/2026

Senator Kurt Fevellaʻs challenge to the tie-breaking procedure in the Hawaii Supreme Court was heard and was denied. It was denied on a number of technical items before the merits of what he was asking for were even examined. It is one thing to file late for a challenge, its another thing not to do the work you need to do to make your challenge viable or even attractive for the Supreme Court to examine. Souzaʻs filing, whether you like it or not, did it right.

Post  #245 on Politics Hawaiʻi with Stan Fichtman: Why debate if saying no doesn’t cost you votes?That question is being...
09/12/2026

Post #245 on Politics Hawaiʻi with Stan Fichtman: Why debate if saying no doesn’t cost you votes?

That question is being tested in Hawaiʻi politics this election cycle. Ed Case declined to debate and won his Primary by 20 points. Derek Kawakami passed on at least one forum and won easily.

Now Josh Green is saying no to a debate with Gary Cordery.

Is refusing to debate simply good campaign strategy — or are voters losing something in the process?

Hawaiʻi Candidates Test an Electoral Tradition

>>>link in the comments

Although not political in nature, but more about the fabric of Hawaiʻi and Oʻahu, the Great Aloha Run, which ended with ...
09/10/2026

Although not political in nature, but more about the fabric of Hawaiʻi and Oʻahu, the Great Aloha Run, which ended with Carol Kai in 2025, will be revived by real estate developer Christine Camp and the Avalon Group and moved to Downtown Honolulu (the original race went from the Honolulu Harbor area to Aloha Stadium)

So the line goes, you canʻt keep a good event down...the revival happens on Presidents Day 2027.

In an update to an article written in October last year, in which this blogger spoke about the lawsuits that both Hong K...
09/07/2026

In an update to an article written in October last year, in which this blogger spoke about the lawsuits that both Hong Kong International School and Kamehameha Schools have been facing, the Hong Kong International School suit was settled last week.

The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and the School settled the suit on August 31, with the School and the Church officially dissolving their governance relationship.

>>>Read links to the articles in the comments

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court has now involved itself for a second time in this year’s primary election, this time deciding ...
09/05/2026

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court has now involved itself for a second time in this year’s primary election, this time deciding that the District 43 race needs a redo.

So, on November 3, voters in the district are going to see a ballot they’ve never seen before: a Republican primary contest between Kanani Souza and Sheila Medeiros appearing on the same ballot as the General Election.

And that raises an interesting question.

In a General Election, voters can vote for candidates from any party. There’s no requirement to vote a straight party ticket, and no disqualification for crossing party lines as you move down the ballot.

So how, exactly, do you police a Republican-only primary contest sitting in the middle of a General Election ballot?

This blogger thinks there will be a winner.

But I also think there’s a pretty good chance the vote total in that race is going to be a whole lot bigger than just Republicans voting.

Again.

>>>Article about this development in comments (HNN)

41 votes. Then 22 votes.Three elections. Three trips to the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court. And 12 years of Trevor Ozawa vs. Tomm...
08/30/2026

41 votes. Then 22 votes.

Three elections. Three trips to the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court. And 12 years of Trevor Ozawa vs. Tommy Waters.

With the latest round now decided — and Waters ruled ineligible to seek another term — Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman went back through the history of what has become one of the more unusual political rivalries in Hawaiʻi.

Think Ali-Frazier, but with ballots, lawyers and the Honolulu City Council.

Is this finally the last round?

Read PHwSF #244: “Ozawa vs. Waters III: The Final Round?”
>>>Link in comments

Post  #243 of Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman:They've been there before — and in 2026, they wanted back in.At least 1...
08/16/2026

Post #243 of Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman:

They've been there before — and in 2026, they wanted back in.

At least 11 former Hawaiʻi officeholders tried to make political comebacks in this year's primary. Some wanted their old seats back, others tried a different route, and voters had very different answers for them.

So, who made it through, and who was told “not this time?”

Read "The Comeback Class of 2026: Hawaiʻi's former officeholders tried to get back in."

>>>Link to the full article in the comments

Address

Honolulu, HI

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman:

Shortcuts

Share