Aloha,

It is critical that I let you know why we remain confident of our campaign's "pathway to success" and victory on September 18th despite early polls that did not show me as the front-runner.

Our base tells us that we can and will:

1) Win solidly on the neighbor-islands.
I am the only major candidate from the neighbor-islands and have a solid base on Kauai. Recent polls indicate that I am the strongest neighbor-island candidate.

2) Win solidly the core active liberal/progressive Democratic vote statewide. My track record and endorsement by Progressive Democrats of Hawaii and Americans for Democratic Action support this expectation

3) Win solidly the green, sustainability and energy independence vote statewide. My endorsement by the Sierra Club, personal support by statewide environmental/energy advocates and legislative record support this outcome.

4) Win solidly the GLBT vote statewide.
The endorsement by various GLBT groups and my acknowledged leadership in openly advocating equality for all support this outcome

5) Win a strong majority of votes from teachers and their families statewide.
The endorsement of the Hawaii State Teachers Association supports this outcome. Teachers are actively phone banking and sign-holding in support of our campaign.

6) Do well on Oahu in the general population with the votes of the remaining Oahu Democratic candidates effectively splitting up the Oahu vote.
The endorsement of Local 5 hotel workers, the Hawaii Nurses Association and others will strongly contribute to this outcome

7) Raise and spend the funds needed to get the message out strongly.
We have raised and spent approximately $300,000 on the campaign to date. We are being supported by over 1,000 individual contributors, dwarfing that of all other LG candidates and clearly showing strong grass-roots support.

We are only 30 contributors short of reaching the $50,000 minimum threshold to begin obtaining State matching funds up to $85,000. Three strong television advertisements have been produced and have begun airing statewide.

This is our pathway to success. But we still need to find 30 people to contribute $100 to our campaign today in order to meet the critical minimum thresh-hold needed to make this happen.

Congresswoman Mazie Hirono won her "crowded primary" four years ago with less than 21% of the vote. Recent polls show approximately 50% of voters are either undecided or uninformed about the candidates.

We can win but we need your help today. Please join us and be one of the 30 people we need to contribute $100 online today or tell a friend why they should support Hooser for Lieutenant Governor.

Sincerely,
Script signature
Gary Hooser
http://www.garyhooser.com


Contributions may be made online at http://www.garyhooser.com or for those who prefer to send checks, they can be mailed to Friends of Gary Hooser, P.O. Box 4094, Honolulu HI 96812.

Aloha Friends,

Asking for help has never been easy for me. Many of you have already offered generous support and I thank you for that, and regret that I must ask you again.

The next 12 hours of the campaign are critical if we are be successful and win on September 18. As Hawaii's Lieutenant Governor, I will be a strong advocate and leader for progressive values and a green sustainable future.

Today September 1 is a key deadline for the campaign and we are still short approximately 40 to 50 people contributing $100 per person in order to meet the all important threshold amount and receive matching funds from the State.

Smaller amounts are welcome, add up, and will be matched also but our target need is a $100 contribution. When we accomplish this, the State will provide our campaign with $50,000 in matching funds. When this happens we can make our last, final and critically important advertising push.

For the next 12 hours our urgent need is $100 or less amounts from individuals who have not yet given in 2010 (each spouse may contribute separately, joint checking accounts are acceptable but checks must be written and signed separately).

Contributions may be made securely via credit card online at http://www.garyhooser.com or mailed to Friends of Gary Hooser, P.O. Box 4094, Honolulu Hawaii 96812. Checks must be mailed today if the funds are to help meet this critical goal. If you choose regular mail, please send us an email notification of its mailing so we can register the contribution.

We must accomplish this fund-raising goal within 12 hours or no later than midnight tonight September 1 if we are to be able to fund our television advertising, get our message out strong and win on September 18th.

We can change Hawaii's future for the better, but we must push very hard now to do so.

Everything else is in place to win, but must reach this fund-raising goal to do so.

Mahalo for your help and support and for helping us make this final push. Imua! gh

Gary Hooser
Former Hawaii State Senator
Candidate Lieutenant Governor
http://www.garyhooser.com

Why I'm Choosing Hooser over Schatz
(actual letter from a Hooser supporter
to an undecided 'leaning Schatz' supporter)

Dear Mary,

For people who vote more toward the progressive end of the scale, this year's race for Lieutenant Governor might present a quandary. On the surface, there are two equally viable candidates whose positions are generally similar - Gary Hooser and Brian Schatz. So I had to dig down quite a bit, in order to choose between those two.

My choice, hands down, is Gary Hooser.

Why?

Balancing Honolulu-Centric Views with a Neighbor Island Perspective

For one thing, every L.G. candidate has declared that ...the Neighbor Island perspective is crucial in this race. And they're right - it really is. But there's only major L.G. candidate who can honestly claim that Neighbor Island perspective as his own - Kauai's Gary Hooser. There's more to Hawaii than one big city, more to consider than high-rises and freeways. If the two top office-holders in the state are both from Honolulu, as is usually the case, the Neighbor Island perspective will once again be lacking.

Look around next time you're in Honolulu, to see if you can find any Neighbor Islanders in high-ranking government positions. It'll be tough - there are very few. Yet Gary was able to take that important N.I. perspective with him when he ended his four years on Kauai's County Council and began serving in the State Senate. He must have used it well - for the last four years, he's been chosen by his peers in the Senate as their Majority Leader.

Both Gary and Brian Schatz have been endorsed by various organizations. So I looked at those endorsements too. Brian's biggest endorsement so far has been that of the 'Hawaii Government Employees Association, the 'HGEA,' and good for him. He's gotten a variety of other union endorsements as well, though as far as I've been able to tell, no organizations other than unions have endorsed him.

Endorsements reflect Hooser's Command of Diverse Issues/Constituencies

Gary, on the other hand, has an amazingly broad range of endorsements - so far, they include Local 5 (Hotel and Hospital Workers), Hawaii Nurses Association, Progressive Democrats of Hawaii, Americans for Democratic Action, the Sierra Club (Gary authored the nation's first solar mandate bill, requiring all new homes in Hawaii to use an energy-efficient water heating system), the GLBT Caucus, Hawaii Chiropractic Association, and the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA).

What impresses me about this list is the wide variety of organizations supporting his candidacy. That tells me a lot about his understanding of diverse issues, and the skills with which he's proven himself as a Senator.

The HSTA endorsement in particular is noteworthy. When Furlough Fridays were first introduced into our children's school lives last year, then-Senator Hooser was the first legislator to propose the solutions that (eventually) were adopted by our state government - using fallow hurricane fund money to get our children back in school. HSTA's voting members walked right past two other Lieutenant Governor candidates who might seem more logical - the Senate Education committee's chair (Mr. Sakamoto) and the House Education committee's vice chair (Ms. Berg) - to give their support to Gary Hooser. That says a lot about teachers' confidence in Gary.

Civil Rights

And finally there's civil rights. Senator Hooser, from the start, supported the civil unions bill the legislature debated for the last two years - HB444. He did so even when the Senate Leadership withdrew its support for the bill, putting Gary in the awkward position, as Majority Leader, of supporting legislation that at that particular time was opposed by the Senate President. That takes a lot of courage, and speaks volumes about Gary's commitment to equal rights.

It's a crowded field, this race for Lieutenant Governor. No doubt everyone who's running in it would try to do a good job for Hawaii's people. To my mind, though, only one of the candidates measures up. Gary's got my vote, and I hope he'll get yours too.

Much love,
Shelly
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gary Hooser LG Campaign stills needs your help and we need it today!

We must boost our tv advertising now and to do so we need to find 90 new contributors (those that have not made a contribution in 2010) of $100 or less to meet our goal and qualify for matching state funds.

It goes without saying that we welcome larger donations at any time from those who have already exceeded the $100 - 2010 threshold.

Time is running very short. We need your help today. Please help if you can.

Contributions may be made online at http://www.garyhooser.com or for those that prefer to send checks, they can be mailed to Friends of Gary Hooser, P.O. Box 4094, Honolulu HI 96812.

The recent Star-Advertiser poll tells us the following:

• 50% of the population either has not heard of or does not have enough information on any of the LG candidates.

We must increase our television and radio advertising immediately!

• The poll was conducted prior to the Hawaii State Teachers Association endorsing Hooser over Sakamoto. Teachers all over the State and on every island began last week telephone banking and holding signs in support of our campaign.

• The poll was conducted prior to Sierra Club Hawaii endorsing Hooser over all other candidates. Members are being notified individually today of the organization's strong support of our candidacy.

• While Sakamoto and Schatz have already spent thousands on television advertising, the poll was conducted prior to the Hooser launch of television which just started last week.

• This type of poll which contacted only 425 voters statewide, under-represents the neighbor-island vote and that combined with the large number of undecided make it very unreliable predictor of the election outcome

• While all four of the major candidates are within striking distance, strength on the neighbor islands will make the difference.
I am counting on each of you to turn out in full force, prove the polls wrong and prove that a strong independent grass-roots effort can win against the business- as-usual machine that is driving the money behind the front-runners.

• A $100 contribution today will ensure one spot on TV or two spots on radio

We need to find just 95 more new people (those who have not yet given in 2010) willing to contribute $100 or less. That will qualify our campaign for matching funds of $50,000 - $85,000 which will all be spent on television and radio advertising to get our name and message out strong statewide.

It goes without saying that we welcome larger donations at any time from those who have already given in excess of the $100 - 2010 thresh-hold and thank you for your generosity and faith in me.

Contributions may be made online at http://www.garyhooser.com or for those that prefer to send checks, they can be mailed to Friends of Gary Hooser, P.O. Box 4094, Honolulu Hawaii 96812

Aloha Friends,
I can win on September 18 and be elected your Lieutenant Governor, but I cannot do this without the help of many people and I write today asking for yours.

It has been a long time since Hawaii has had a true progressive in a top position of leadership. Winning on September 18th, would incredibly strengthen the possibility for a green, progressive and sustainable future for Hawaii.

If you are not familiar with my experience or track record, please visit http://www.garyhooser.com

Suffice it to say that:
I have the life experience, a tangible record of accomplishment and a clear vision for the future - 20 years in business, 4 years in County government, 8 years as a State Senator, 4 years as Majority Leader. I have executive experience, a strong record of leadership and a vision for a prosperous sustainable Hawaii that includes good jobs for local people, educational excellence and energy/food independence.

My record of accomplishment in numerous areas is clear and strong. I have the best record of any LG candidate on the environment, I was the first to speak out against "furlough Fridays" in our schools and to propose a solution. I have the strongest record of accomplishment of any LG candidates on issues pertaining to agriculture, energy independence, social justice and human services. You can count on me to be a champion of these issues now and in the future.

While I am in a position to win, my competition has big business and corporate insiders on their side. For me to compete in the fundraising arena, I have opted to use a public funding option and rely mostly on contributions of $100 or less.

A big part of our strategy is qualifying for State matching funds which can amount to from $50,000 to $85,000 and can be used for television and radio advertising. We are now just $15,000 short of reaching our minimum thresh-hold goal and qualifying for these funds. To reach this goal means we must attract 150 new people who are willing to contribute $100 to our campaign TODAY (only first time contributors of $100 or less can be used to qualify for the match).

If we can do this TODAY then we can launch our television and radio advertising TODAY and make sure our message goes out strong and clear.

Any help you can offer online TODAY at http://www.garyhooser.com is much needed and greatly appreciated. If you prefer, checks may be mailed to Friends of Gary Hooser, P.O. Box 4094, Honolulu Hawaii, 96812

The TODAY deadline is self-imposed and we will be asking for help all the way until the end. However, TODAY is the most important day of the campaign and we need to move forward strongly with our major media now.

Imua!

Sincerely, gh
Gary Hooser
Former Hawaii State Senator, Majority Leader
Candidate for Lieutenant Governor
http://www.garyhooser.com

Aloha Friends,

I have resigned my seat in the Hawaii State Senate in order to serve you as Hawaii's next Lieutenant Governor.

The small donations that mark this campaign tell a simple story: I want to serve the people of Hawaii. Not being indebted to big business and big donors means you can count on me to help ensure that public policy serves the public good.

The mortgage crisis, the near melt-down of Wall Street and the Gulf oil spill all remind us of the importance of public office not being for sale.



I hope you agree with me and that I can count on your support to get elected. This is the critical point at which I need you to show that support through small donations: whatever you can afford and whatever you can encourage others to give. 



We have charted a pathway to success based on principle, on experience and on my strong proven track record of accomplishment. That pathway to success requires help and support from regular people who share values and who are willing to contribute small amounts of money toward the achievement of a common goal. 



I can win. We can win. But the raw truth is that to win, we must raise the money to invest in television and radio advertising in the weeks leading up to the vote. We do not need to be the top fundraiser in order to win, but we do need to increase the funds currently available in order to reach voters and help them understand what is at stake. 



Whether it is $25, $50, $100 or more - your help is needed today. 



Our plan is to utilize public matching funds and all new contributors (people who have not contributed at all to the campaign during 2010) who give $100 or less will have their contributions matched 100%! To meet the minimum threshold we need your help today and no later than August 12. 



Please contribute your $100 or less online today, and then contact your friends, neighbors and family members and ask them to consider making an online credit card contribution at http://www.garyhooser.com .

Checks may also be mailed to Friends of Gary Hooser, P.O. Box 4094, Honolulu Hawaii 96812. Spouses may contribute separately but checks (joint accounts are ok) must be issued and signed separately.



We can win. We have a great organization, a strong message, and a growing list of endorsements. 



We have worked hard for over a year getting to this point. Your help is needed today prior to August 12, to carry us the rest of the way across the finish line to victory.




Sincerely,
Gary Hooser
Your Candidate For Lieutenant Governor
Watch The Hooser Story online video at http://www.garyhooser.com

It's hard to see anything good in what happened on July 6 in Hawaii when Governor Lingle chose injustice over equality by killing HB444, the civil unions bill.

But perhaps something good can be extracted from the day this Governor chose to avoid her responsibility as a leader and to hide behind the skirts of political rhetoric and obfuscation. We might look back and someday see July 6, 2010 as the day people in Hawaii realized how important it is to take back control of their government. We might see July 6 as the day this Republican Governor reminded the people of Hawaii that they need to become more engaged as citizens and to demand accountability of their elected leaders.

July 6 perhaps will mark a critical turning point towards a better future in which we can truly reap the benefits and enjoy the freedoms that our democratic institutions and processes promise.

This will happen only if people show up at the table, and take ownership and responsibility for THEIR government.

That is a big IF. Elections are not simply a choice between Democrats and Republicans, but rather a choice between people, values and vision.

Governor Lingle's veto on July 6 was a huge step backwards. The people of Hawaii watched as the Governor blatantly disregarded the promises contained in both the Federal and State constitutions. She was aided and abetted in this assault on civil rights by a Lieutenant Governor who has made no secret of his missionary zeal of "saving Hawaii for Jesus" - driven by his version of the bible and his version of God's word. I also pray to God, but the God I pray to puts love and justice ahead of righteousness and damnation. I believe that faith is an essential component in one's life, but I also believe in the importance of preserving the separation between Church and state. A Lieutenant Governor, or a Governor who does not understand this fundamental principle is a danger to us all.

We stand now at a cross-roads and the choices are clear.

On election day, September 18 and then again on November 2, the people of Hawaii will choose which path they wish to travel down and which future they want to see for their children and grandchildren.

In the end, the kind of future our children can look forward to will be determined by who shows up and the choices made in the privacy of the voting booth.

The people of Hawaii can choose a future where equality, justice and our constitution are protected and honored, or they can choose to support a system driven by a theocratic dogma that ignores the very foundations of our democracy.

I am hopeful that the wake-up call sent out on July 6 does indeed galvanize the good people of our state. I am hopeful that Hawaii residents will become more fully engaged in a new and sustained spirit of civic responsibility. I urge them to drive, walk or ride the bus to the polls, taking a friend or neighbor with them, and cast their vote for leaders who have the courage and integrity to make decisions that help usher in a future in which everyone in Hawaii enjoys equal rights and protections.

Perhaps then we might be able to raise three, not two, cheers for democracy in Hawaii.

By Gary Hooser, former Hawaii State Senator and Candidate for Lieutenant Governor
More information is available at http://www.garyhooser.com

Aloha Friends,

This past Friday was my final day as the Senator from Kauai and today marks my first as an official candidate for the office of Lieutenant Governor.

Before stepping back into the hectic pace of a full bore statewide campaign, I would like to take a moment to say thank you.

Serving these past eight years as "the Senator from Kauai" has been an honor and a privilege and has allowed me an experience that I will always cherish. During this entire time, I have tried my very best to work hard, to listen, to do my homework, and then to vote my conscience. My door has always remained open and I have tried my best to serve each and every person who has asked for my assistance.

But now, after serving four years on the Kauai County Council, eight years in the Senate, four of which have been as Majority Leader, it is time for me to do more. It's time for personal growth in service to our community and it is time to apply my many years of experience in business and in government to the statewide office of Lieutenant Governor.

We need someone at the top of government who understands and appreciates the values nurtured by living on an island like Kauai - values grounded in "keeping the country, country" while understanding the importance of creating good jobs and fostering a strong economy.

Hawaii also needs elected officials who have the courage to make tough decisions. Too many elected leaders are driven by political calculation and fear. To achieve our preferred future and the high goals and standards we must set for ourselves, bold and decisive leadership is needed. Timidity does not serve us well.

Time and space today does not permit me the opportunity to fully express all of my feelings and thoughts about the past, nor to properly articulate my vision for the future.

Today is simply a day to say Mahalo to all who have helped me over the years. From the bottom of my heart I thank you for the support and confidence you have given, and I ask once again for your help in moving forward.

Sincerely, gh

Former Kauai State Senator and Majority Leader
Candidate for Lieutenant Governor

P.S. If you do want to know more or to help, please visit http://www.garyhooser.com

Aloha,

For the past year our campaign has been the leader in the area of grass-roots fundraising. While our total amount of funds raised has not exceeded our competitors, we have beaten them hands down as to the total number of individuals giving to our campaign. It is my goal to maintain this lead and demonstrate clearly that such a campaign, a campaign funded by the people, can win.

I am writing today because June 30th is a key date for our campaign. If possible, I need your additional help and support via an online contribution before the end of the day on Wednesday the 30th. Later contributions are of course welcome but online contributions today or tomorrow are especially important.

June 30th is the cutoff date to receive campaign contributions for this final reporting period before the election. A strong fundraising report is very important at this juncture in the campaign. We have already raised in excess of $140,000 since the start of our campaign. However, we still need to raise an additional $150,000 before the Primary election on September 18th.

I am absolutely positive that grass-roots support can win this election, and I am determined to achieve our fundraising goals utilizing small donations from many people. So with this conviction, I ask you to join with me and prove that individuals matter more than special interests.

If 1,000 people contribute $100 apiece, that would raise $100,000 and send an incredibly powerful message out into the community. Specifically, that would cover the cost of a necessary major media campaign needed during the final 6 weeks. This is critical to ensuring that our positive message of change is heard strong and clear statewide.

Or, if you or a friend or family member that has not yet contributed - 500 new people contributing $50 would raise $50,000 because these contributions would be matched by state funds (the State will match up to $100 aggregate).

Our campaign is on track with a strong message, a solid team in place and good people helping on each island. We are leading in grass-root support statewide, but we must translate our strong grass-roots support into strong financial support as well.

Please help me prove that grass-roots support can win. Your $100 contribution and/or that of a new friend or family member contributing $50 can make the difference...not just for this campaign, but for a strong economy, energy independence, improved education, and equality for all.

Mahalo in advance for any and all help you can provide prior to the end of the day on June 30th and for your support after this date as well.

Contributions may be mailed to Friends of Gary Hooser, P.O. Box 4094, Honolulu Hawaii 96812 or via credit card online at www.garyhooser.com

I sincerely thank you for any help and support you are able to offer at this time and promise that I will continue unwaveringly with my commitment to those issues we both hold dear.

Yours Truly,

Gary Hooser
State Senator
Candidate for Lieutenant Governor
http://www.garyhooser.com

In the time it takes me to speak to you today, somewhere between 5 and 25 thousand gallons of oil will leak into the gulf. Countless birds, fish, and wildlife will slowly die. And pristine marshlands, once full of this life, will be silenced. It's time.

President Obama last week said we need to move forward on clean energy. I agree. And I get excited when he says this. But my excitement is short lived, because then I remember all of the promises given by some many in the past.

I remember George W. Bush saying a few years ago that we needed to rid ourselves of our addiction to oil.

In 1979 with 37% of oil coming from foreign sources I remember Jimmy Carter saying," Beginning this moment, this nation will never use more foreign oil than we did in 1977-never." We have doubled our dependence since then.

I even remember Richard Nixon in 1974 saying, "by 1980 the U.S. will no longer be dependent on any other country for the energy we need!" Wow, makes me want to go campaign for him.

From Nixon to Obama, the last 8 presidents of the United States have all made bold statements about the importance of our country getting off of our addiction to oil.

But yet our dependency only grows. I for one am tired of the rhetoric. How many more young people have to die in the middle east?

How many more ecological disasters must we endure...all in the name of protecting the profit margins of Exxon Mobile, BP and the like?

I am here today, to plead with our leaders in Washington D.C. to recognize the urgency and to have the courage and the resolve to move forward aggressively to enact a bold comprehensive climate and clean energy Bill today.

I for one am tired. I'm tired of the rhetoric.

I'm tired of politicians more worried about their careers than they are of protecting our planet.

I'm tired of the electric utility and big oil lobby being able to spend 120 times more than alternative energy (.5 million to 60 million) to buy Washington. And if you think big oil owning Washington's an overstatement, there's about 200 million gallons of oil in the gulf to prove my point. It's time.

We all know humans make mistakes. But I don't think it's any coincidence that we had two oil men in the White-house for 8 years and something like this happens.

Am I surprised this happened. No. In fact I can't believe it took this long.

This country has never been serious about getting off of our dependence on oil

It's time. It's time for an Energy Revolution. The naysayers tell us it will cost too much. In fact here in Hawaii the renewable energy industry has created thousands of jobs and is prospering! And what will be the true cost of the disaster unfolding in the gulf?

We are asking our leaders in Washington to show some guts. We are asking them to make the hard decisions. We are asking them to take a chance and to bet against big oil and in favor of people and our planet.

I will thank you. Your kids will thank you. And their kids will thank you.

We are all here today to ask, to plead to demand that bold changes to this countries energy policy be made now, today,before the November elections.

We are losing our country to big oil and now it's time to take it back.

It's time for leadership. A strong, bold, comprehensive energy bill will transform our environment, our economy, our national security, and our future.

It's not only time. It's long, long overdue.

Gary Hooser
Hawaii State Senator
Majority Leader
Candidate for Lieutenant Governor
http://www.garyhooser.com