Founding The Democratic Party of Hawaii was formed on April 30, 1900, by supporters of the
queen in the wake of a
plague quarantine in
Honolulu. The meeting brought together five men:
John H. Wilson, son of Marshal of the Kingdom
Charles B. Wilson;
John S. McGrew, a doctor and supporter of
Kalākaua;
Charles J. McCarthy, a saloon owner and former
Honolulu Rifle;
David Kawānanakoa, prince of the
House of Kawānanakoa; and
Delbert E. Metzger, an engineer from
Kauai. The group believed that it was necessary for a party in Hawaii, now a region of the US, to have a national counterpart to survive and established the Democratic Party of Hawaii. The intention of the party was to promote
Jeffersonian philosophy and
home rule. Following the
Overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy, the
Reform Party of Hawaii seized control of government and intended to
annex Hawaii to the
United States. The reformers became affiliated with the
Republican Party for this support of Hawaii's annexation in contrast to the Democrats' opposition. The
American Union Party became the
regional Republican party in Hawaii, leaving the Democratic Party for any opposition group. The first convention of the Democratic Party of Hawaii was held on May 16 that year and was attended by 500 people. Later that year, Kawānanakoa attended the
1900 Democratic National Convention in
Kansas City, becoming the first royal attendee. At the convention, Kawānanakoa formed an affiliation between the Democratic Party of Hawaii and the
Democratic Party of the United States.
Elections of 1900 Leading up to the election of 1900, it became apparent the radically nationalist
Home Rule Party became the most popular. Republicans who had been rejected for the unpopular overthrow of the monarchy and promotion of white supremacy, offered a
coalition between the Democrats and Republicans. Democrats refused the offer and Home Rule Party came to power. But the election of 1900 was based more on animosity toward the Republican Party for dethroning the monarchy than the Home Rule Party's functionality once in power. Due to the extremism of the Home Rule, they were ineffective. Similarly, the Democrats were also consumed with infighting. In the following elections, voters perceived little difference between the internal strife of the Democratic Party and the Home Rule Party. Since the 1900 election, Republicans had formed the Haole-Hawaiian Alliance. This deal with made with former Home Rule members who left the infighting. The Republicans then regained power. In the subsequent years, Democrats supported the stronger Home Rule Party until it dissolved in 1912. The party managed to elect Democrats
Joseph J. Fern and Wilson as mayors of Honolulu, along with several other positions, but maintained a weak reputation throughout the
territorial years. Among the issues was that offices under leadership positions were frequently held by Republicans, with Democrats achieving leadership positions they only brought limited powers, especially against Republican policies.
Territory of Hawaii After the overthrow of the monarchy and annexation, an
oligarchy of powerful
sugar corporations called the
Big Five effectively controlled government in the
Hawaiian Islands, making hundreds of millions of dollars in profits. He began what would be known as the "Burns Machine". He believed grassroots organizing and the power of elections could overturn the corruption of the Republicans in power. The movement received its biggest boost when Burns successfully influenced Japanese American veterans who fought in World War II to become involved, notably incumbent
Daniel Inouye. The coalition was composed of the Democratic Party,
Communist Party,
442nd Infantry Regiment,
ILWU, and other organizations. Democrats have held onto a solid majority since 1962, with near-complete control over the state's congressional delegation and its legislative and executive branch. At the national level, Democrats held all of Hawaii's seats in the Senate and the House. Both positions of governor and lieutenant governor were also filled by Democrats, with the former being held by John Burns, the organizer of the Burns Machine in 1954. Burns was instrumental in the revitalization of the party following World War II. He was reelected two more times and died shortly after his third term in office in 1975. The strength of the Burns Machine has diminished since the mid-1980s, primarily due to the advanced ages of its original supporters. There has been renewed strength in the progressive wing. Since 1994, progressive supporters have held control over the party central committee, having run unopposed in certain years. ==Political positions==