The Journey Begins at a Crossroad

Dear Friends,

Someone once said no one sits at a crossroad for very long.  You pause and assess the situation, take note of the direction you want to go, and choose your path. Today, I find myself at such a crossroad.  More importantly, I believe the State of Hawaii is also at a critical junction.  Rarely, do you find your personal life and history meeting at such a crossroad. 

For the past six years, I have had the privilege of serving as the mayor of Honolulu.  Together, we have made Honolulu one of the best places to live, work and raise our families.  I take pride in that collective accomplishment because, throughout my life, I have always tried to leave things better than when I found them.  As your mayor, I believe I have done so for Honolulu.  

Hawaii, meanwhile, along with the rest of the country, continues to struggle to pull itself out of one of the deepest recessions in the last 100 years.   We need to invigorate our economy, a challenge that cannot be met unless all of us work together.  I believe that I have the executive experience and the collaborative leadership style that will bring together people statewide, from the public and private sectors, labor and business, to grow our economy.

At the same time, we face the daunting task of transitioning to other sources of energy.  As an island-state, we understand better than most how our economy, our environment and our future depends on making that transition now.  That future also depends on the strength and success of our educational system.  From early education centers to our universities, our schools are the building blocks for our future and must be given our unconditional commitment and support. 

Following my resignation today, I will file papers to run for governor, because I believe I can help Hawaii at this crossroad.  I believe I can bring us together and muster all of our resources and energy to find solutions—not fault, to discover new opportunities rather dwell on past failures, and to tap into the richness of our cultures, our people and that collective strength of who we are as a state.  I want to create a renewed spirit of cooperation and collaboration across all spectrums of our society.  With your strength and support, I want to help create a better Hawaii for all of us.

Gail and I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail in the months ahead.

Sincerely Yours,

Mufi Hannemann