GOP Takes House Seat in Obama's Home District

Outstanding News -- now we have to see if the Congressman-elect can transfer this into a full term on Nov 2nd. With the Democrats still fighting and his positive message of lower taxes and smaller government, it could happen!

GOP Takes House Seat in Obama's Home District
Herbert A. Sample
May 23, 2010

AP

HONOLULU (May 23) -- Republicans scored a midterm election victory Saturday when Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou won a Democratic-held House seat in Hawaii in the district where President Barack Obama grew up - the latest triumph for the GOP as it looks to take back control of Congress.

Djou's victory was a blow to Obama and other Democrats who could not rally around a candidate and find away to win a congressional race that should have been a cakewalk. The seat had been held by a Democrat for nearly 20 years and is located where Obama was born and spent most of his childhood.

"This is a momentous day. We have sent a message to the United States Congress. We have sent a message to the national Democrats. We have sent a message to the machine," Djou said. "The congressional seat is not owned by one political party. This congressional seat is owned by the people."

But Democrats believe the success in Hawaii will be short-lived. Djou will only serve through the remainder of 2010, and another election will be held in November for the next term.

Djou received 67,610 votes, or 39.4 percent. He was trailed by state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, a Democrat who received 52,802 votes, or 30.8 percent. The other leading Democrat, former U.S. Rep. Ed Case, received 47,391 votes, or 27.6 percent.

Republicans see the victory as a powerful statement about their momentum heading into November. They already sent a Republican to the U.S. Senate to replace the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts - a place that was once thought to be the most hostile of territories for the GOP. Now Republicans can say they won a congressional seat in the former backyard of the president and in a state that gave Obama 72 percent of the vote two years ago.

"Charles' victory is evidence his conservative message of lowering the tax burden, job creation and government accountability knows no party lines. It is a message Americans want to hear from candidates across the country," said Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele.

(snip)

Djou will be the first Republican to represent Hawaii in Congress since Rep. Pat Saiki left office in 1991.

The election was being conducted entirely by mail. Eleven other candidates were on the ballot, but none of them had a serious chance of contending.

Final results showed that 54 percent, or 171,417, of the 317,337 ballots that were sent to voters were returned. It was a strong turnout compared to the 2002 special election to fill a vacancy in the 2nd Congressional District, when only 13 percent cast their votes.

Excerpt: Read More at AOL News