WAIKOLOA -- Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona told Republicans at their state
convention today they do not need to act like Democrats to get elected and
must to return to core principles of lower taxes, smaller government and
greater personal freedom.

Aiona, a Republican candidate for governor in 2010, said the party lost
ground in 2008 because Republicans abandoned core principles.

"Sometimes the truth hurts. And the truth is the Democrats have run out of
ideas," Aiona told delegates gathered in a ballroom at the Marriott Waikoloa
Beach Resort & Spa on the Big Island.

Gov. Linda Lingle made a plea to dissidents within the party to put aside
their differences and come together to elect Aiona and other Republican
candidates in 2010. The governor said there would be time after the election
to have ideological debates within the party.

Lingle said it is unrealistic to believe Republicans can gain balance with
majority Democrats in the state Legislature in 2010 -- where the GOP holds
just six seats in the state House and two in the state Senate -- but said
Republicans could hold their leverage by electing Aiona governor.

“In order for us to have the kind of Hawaii we want, we’ve got to work
harder than we ever have before. No one is going to hand this election to
us,” Lingle said. “So for those of you who want to focus attention on where
we disagree, I ask you to give it a rest for awhile.”

Delegates elected Jonah Ka'auwai, a state corrections administrator and
former deputy chief of staff to Aiona, as the new party chairman. Ka'auwai
replaces Willes Lee, who did not seek re-election.

Party officials also announced today that the Republican National Committee
would hold its winter meeting in Honolulu in January 2010.