Current Thoughts
(Mostly Hawaii)
The Soft Launch of 2026
“Hawaii’s 2026 gubernatorial race may have just begun—and most people didn’t even notice.”

PC: “Josh Green Official Photo 2022 (cropped) (cropped)” by Aloha102 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
That is what this blogger thought right when the applause started at the end of Hawaii Governor Josh Green’s 2025 State of the State address at the Hawaii State Capitol.
If not for the sheer volume of political events unfolding both in Hawaii and on the mainland, more people might have picked up on that. But given the ever-present political noise, it’s understandable that this conclusion went unnoticed by many.
As the speech went on, which wasn’t all that long, there was some recall by this blogger of a time when lower office holders, looking to level up to the Governor, would put on half-hour infomercials on local TV. These programs, typically done on Sunday evening right after the evening news, would demonstrate one of two main ideas – what they have done in office already or what they plan to do in office that may catapult them higher.
Two examples in Hawaii’s political history come front and center – the 1994 infomercial by then-Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi, just before he resigned and ran for Governor under the “Best Party” label. The biggest recall from that show was the voiceover effusively describing how Fasi brought “TheBus” to Honolulu by going to Texas and getting buses shipped from there to start the service.
The second example was when Fasi’s replacement who became Honolulu Mayor in his own right – Jeremy Harris –also ran an infomercial around 2004, talking about his plan for the Downtown Honolulu waterfront, replacing Nimitz Highway with a waterfront promenade. It came with wildly nice-looking art that seemed laced with “I may never become governor, but I am still working to be relevant”.
(And, if you are up for it, you can read that whole plan here)
For both, in the end, the programs didn’t move needles so much to get either of them to win the office of Governor. And in the case of Harris, it didn’t even get him out of the gate as a formal candidate.
(At least for Fasi, looking at the record, he came in second behind Ben Cayetano in the General Election, beating out the Hawaii Republican Party).

PC: tamingtheaibeast.org, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
So, in watching Governor Green’s State of the State presentation, he went toward the “what have I/we done so far” line and launched into listing out those achievements. From describing what he has done with homelessness (building more and more Kauhale’s, to making sure that money was allocated for the recovery of Lahaina, he laid out issues and how he is addressing them.
With no significant opposition emerging—either in the primary or general election—Governor Green’s speech didn’t need to be groundbreaking to serve as a soft launch for his reelection campaign. His progress on key issues, such as affordability (highlighted by the income tax cut he signed into law) and public safety (addressing fireworks with emotional resonance), may be enough, for now, to deter serious challengers.
While the formal campaign has yet to begin, Green’s record is already setting the stage for 2026. His methodical approach has, so far, positioned him as the dominant figure in the race—but politics is anything but predictable. The real test will be whether he can sustain momentum and navigate the unforeseen challenges that could shift the political landscape before voters head to the polls.
Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman is a recipient of a 2023 Hawaii Society of Professional Journalist award.
Imperial echoes: Renaming and its forgotten consequences
On Monday, January 20, soon after Donald Trump’s inauguration as President, he started what this blogger can only describe as an “Executive Order-a-palooza.” It started around mid-morning Hawai‘i time and continued until it seemed to be past midnight in Washington, D.C.

PC”Donald Trump – Caricature” by DonkeyHotey is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
So many orders were posted so quickly that there were notable hiccups in moments. For instance, when a post was initially put up, clicking on the header to read the document took you to a completely different document. Another was the inconsistency in how the titles were presented: some were in capital letters as if they were just cutting and pasting the title from the document itself, and some were in more standard upper and lower cases.
By the time an hour or so passed, things had been standardized, and all the links to documents had been directed to the right ones.
But there was one Executive Order (EO) that piqued this blogger’s interest, who has studied Political Science (holding a master’s degree), along with a healthy amount of knowledge of historical events and trends, especially during the modern era.
The EO was entitled “Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness”, and issued as part of the last batch of EOs on the 20th of January.
In summary, it orders the changing of two geographical names. The first was the reversion of the name of the highest peak in the United States, called Denali, back to “Mount McKinley”, which was so named for the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley. In 2005, after a successful campaign by the indigenous people who live around the mountain in Alaska, President Obama officially recognized its indigenous name and officially changed the mountain’s name to that.
The second is to change all official government documents to reference what we all know as the “Gulf of Mexico” to be called the “Gulf of America”.
There is also a section where there could be more renaming of things to honor “additional patriots”.
On the surface, changing the name of a place does not seem to be too much of a big deal. And this is reflected by the coverage of the news, basically giving it a line or two. Some publications like the Guardian gave it more prominence but didn’t go that deep.
However, a geographical name change, to this blogger and his knowledge of both colonialism and imperialism, has way bigger connotations that invoke a whole host of things that include, but are not limited to the annexation of Hawai‘i and the entire historical record of the United States imperial expansionism in the late 1800’s.
Let’s start with the easy part, the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico.

PC: “Gulf of Mexico in its region” by Aplaice is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The modern colonial era in which global powers conquered and controlled vast stretches of various locals went from about the 15th century (1400s) to about the middle of the 20th Century (1900s). During those times, countries like France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, and even Japan expanded their reach to other parts of the world.
Even the United States got into the act.
When these powers took over other countries and locations, one of the first things they did was to put their mark on the area by naming or renaming areas to inscribe their power.
Even Honolulu felt this practice of naming places and things based on the powers that be that oversaw it. In the article “Historical geographies of place naming: Colonial practices and beyond” by Beth Willamson in the publication “Geography Compass”, the author noted in their study,
“Scholars (e.g., Blaisdell, 1989; Budnick & Wise, 1989) have also been interested in Hawaiian street names, with Herman (1999) investigating how American hegemony was embedded through the inscription of Western names onto the streets of Honolulu during the American annexation of Hawaii at the end of the nineteenth century.”
Excerpt from the publication “Historical geographies of place naming: Colonial practices and beyond
With the middle of the 20th Century, and the desire by the world to de-colonize areas that were under the rule of the global powers, places were freed with naming conventions changed. For instance, in what was called Rhodesia, when it gained independence from the United Kingdom, the name of the country changed to Zimbabwe, and the capital was known as Salisbury, which was named after the Prime Minister of Great Britain when the place was founded, also, by those loyal to Britain.
The capital is now called Harare.
The Gulf of Mexico, by contrast, was named different things by different parties that ruled different areas of the Americas until at least Texas declared independence from Mexico. Then it was commonly known as the Gulf of Mexico.

PC: Polarbear24, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At that time, everyone in the region, including the United States, accepted the name for the body of water. However, in the early 21st century, U.S. authorities proposed renaming it the “Gulf of America.” This seemed to be a unilateral desire by some, but not a widespread call by all parties involved (including those in the United States let alone the countries that surround the Gulf).
When Pres. Trump declared on day one of his second administration that the Gulf would be renamed the “Gulf of America.” the reflection of the action, compared to how former colonial powers would change the names of areas to their liking, was profound to this blogger. It harkened back to a prior colonial era in which the “major power” (that being the United States) imposed its will on a place, renaming it. It further took on colonial-type tones when Congressman Dan Crenshaw called on Apple – one of the main makers of maps in the world now – to make the change on their map.
As of the writing of this article, both Apple and Google have yet to change the name of the Gulf on their maps, despite calls for the rebranding. This situation mirrors the ongoing disputes over naming conventions, such as the pressure from China for global companies to label Taiwan as “Taiwan CN,” reflecting its contested sovereignty.
While the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico may seem like a symbolic gesture, it reflects a broader pattern of asserting dominance through acts of rebranding. The reversion of Denali to Mount McKinley, however, strikes closer to home for Native Hawaiians, as it underscores the painful legacies of U.S. expansionism.
President McKinley’s legacy in Hawai‘i is inseparable from the annexation of the islands during the Spanish-American War, a land grab that also included the Philippines and Cuba. For many Native Hawaiians, McKinley is not a figure of greatness but a symbol of stolen sovereignty—a leader who absorbed their homeland into the United States without consent, perpetuating the broader narrative of American imperialism.

PC: Victor Gillam, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since the Second Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s, a growing movement has sought to reclaim Hawaiian identity by challenging these colonial legacies. This includes calls to rename McKinley High School in Honolulu back to its original name, “Honolulu High School,” as well as debates over other colonial symbols, like Captain Cook monuments. These discussions reflect a larger reckoning with the impact of colonization and the narratives that continue to glorify it.
Yet, actions like these are increasingly at odds with the new tone coming from Washington, D.C.—one that appears to celebrate figures like McKinley, whose legacy Native Hawaiians view as a painful reminder of injustice. The reversion of Denali’s name, paired with the broader rhetoric of “restoring American greatness,” raises an uncomfortable question: are these gestures merely symbolic, or are they an attempt to reawaken the imperialist ideals long thought buried after World War II and the mid-20th century decolonization movements?
For Native Hawaiians and those who hold Hawai‘i close to their hearts, these actions carry real weight, no matter how symbolic they seem. This blogger predicts that they will not allow this history—or the pain it caused—to be erased or ignored. Suppose the current administration in Washinton intends to revisit the imperialist playbook. In that case, they can be assured that the voices of Hawai‘i will rise, resolute in their mana‘o, to remind the nation of the consequences of such a path.
From holidays to headlines: Politics Hawaii talks 2025 with KHON
As Hawaii transitions out of the holiday season and into the new year, Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman was once again featured on KHON 2 News, sharing insights (or mana’o) on the key issues to watch in 2025.
The write-up and video interview with Dr. Sandy Harjo Livingston, a digital reporter for KHON 2, are available here. Key highlights from the discussion included the following:

PC: “Crystal Palace transmitter” by Ben Sutherland is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
- Stories from 2024 about the SMS Research shutdown and the Alaska-Hawaiian Airlines merger.
- The anticipated impact of the Trump Administration on education programs.
- The rollout of Wendy Hensel, the new President of the University of Hawaii, including her listening tour across campuses and interactions with the Hawaii State Legislature.
- Hawaii Governor Josh Green’s opposition to Trump appointee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been relatively low-profile by those who would, naturally, be supporting all appointments by the incoming president.
Politics Hawaii has been featured in the media on several occasions. Following the Hawaii Primary Election, the first interview covered a detailed review of electoral results. Before this, Rick Hamada from KHVH radio also featured Politics Hawaii periodically.
Politics Hawaii extends its gratitude to Dr. Livingston and KHON 2 for this opportunity to reach a wider audience and share valuable insights with the community. Her support, along with contributions from individuals such as Ian Lind, Hawaii Free Press’s Andrew Walden, and All Hawaii News, reinforces the importance of maintaining an independent, non-advertiser-funded platform for public discourse.
Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman is a recipient of a 2023 Hawaii Society of Professional Journalist award.
Read past entries of Stan Fichtman and PoliticsHawaii.com!
Other sites that pick up PHwSF
Check out these other news aggregators that pick up Politics Hawaii in their feeds
Hawaii Free Press - Hawaii news aggrigator that is curated by Andrew Walden
All Hawaii News - Another Hawaii-based aggregator from Hilo, HI
Feedspot - Picks up blogs and other publications from all over.
Social Media Feeds
Here is where you can find Politics Hawaii posts on Social Media!
Facebook: Politics Hawaii
Nextdoor: S.J. Fichtman
Instagram (if you want to see nice photos): S.J. Fichtman
Periodically, the blog will also post on Medium, <https://politicshawaii.medium.com/>
Blogroll
Here are some of the other great blogs about Hawaii
Peter Kay's "Living in Hawaii"
What am I listening to?
These are the Podcasters that I am listening to, try them out!
Who am I reading/getting news from
The publisher is choosy as to where the news comes from, here are some dependable sources he refer's to when reading up on topics
Civil Beat (Hawaii on-line newspaper)
Honolulu Star Advertiser (mostly paywalled, but you get free headlines)
The Best of The SuperflyOz Podcast
By Stan Fichtman
The best of my podcasts dating back from Jan. 2018.
Go to The Best of the SuperflyOz Podcast