Charles K. Djou: I’m Running for Congress!

A year ago I had the great privilege of serving the people of Hawai‘i as their representative in Congress. While there, I worked with Republicans and Democrats alike to achieve the common goal of making life better for the people of Hawai‘i and this great nation.

As I watched the partisan squabbling over the debt ceiling, I expected our congressional representatives to come forward with proposed solutions, some plan or at least an explanation of what the debate meant and how it affected Hawai‘i. My expectations were met with silence. I heard no solutions, saw no plans and heard precious few updates.

As we look to our future, we cannot afford passive representation. The budget debate matters as our nation’s debt has been downgraded for the first time in history. At stake is nothing less than whether we will continue to be a great nation or whether we will slide into obsolescence. At stake is whether our children will find good jobs, whether our families will be able to stay in Hawai‘i, whether we will have the resources to protect our environment and provide the social services we pledged to provide.

The policies of Washington D.C. today have created too few jobs and too little economic growth in Hawai‘i and the U.S. Our nation’s budget deficit needs to be contained, and we must find a long term solution to our looming national debt.

After much thought and consideration with my wife Stacey and our family, I have decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Hawai’i’s 1st Congressional district next year.

I will bring an independent approach to a Washington polarized between political extremes. Hawai‘i needs a bi-partisan congressional delegation that can talk with both sides of the aisle. Hawai‘i needs active representation. I look forward to earning your trust.

Aloha,

http://www.djou.com/

About the Author: Charles Kong Djou is the former U.S. Representative for Hawaii’s 1st congressional district. As a member of the Republican Party, Djou won his congressional seat in a special election in May 2010, but was defeated in the general election in November. Djou previously served in the Hawaii House of Representativesand the Honolulu City Council. Djou is the first Chinese-American Republican to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.