Hawaiʻi has a functioning two-party political system—it just isn’t the same as the two-party system that exists in other states. Hawaiʻi has Democratic legislators and Republicratic legislators. Republicrats are Republicans who are able to get themselves elected as Democrats, but function like Republicans.

The good news is that this year, voters will have a unique opportunity to tell the difference between true Democrats and Republicrats because there have been several bills introduced to raise Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage. Democrats will support these bills, but Republicrats will attempt to sink these bills by claiming the increases are too large or too small to approve.

In a free and open democratic nation, there will always be significant differences in income and achievement levels among its citizens, but there will always be a need for democratic nations to provide justice and just wages for all its working citizens.

I urge our Democratic legislators to do the right thing by working together to increase Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage significantly in each of the next two, or preferably, four years. Do not be swayed by the Republicrats in your midst.

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