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November 8, 2002/Kislev 3 5763, Vol. 55, No. 11
Jewish woman elected Hawaii governor
SHARON SAMBER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
WASHINGTON - A Republican Jewish woman is probably looking to say thank you - or "mahalo" - to the national Jewish political community for its support.
Linda Lingle, 49, won the Hawaii governor's race Nov. 5, beating the state's Democratic lieutenant governor, Mazie Hirono.
Lingle was one of two Jewish governors elected Nov. 5: The former mayor of Philadelphia, Ed Rendell, beat state Attorney General Mike Fisher to become Penn-sylvania's next governor.
When Lingle came to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee annual policy conference in April, she mused about her Jewish support around the country.
She met a number of people at the conference who introduced her around and gave her advice. On a previous trip to New York, AIPAC and Chabad helped Lingle campaign, she said.
"My race has sort of been adopted," she told JTA at the time. "There is pride in having me as a Jewish candidate."
Lingle, Hawaii's first Republican governor in 40 years, found herself attracting national attention, as Jewish, Republican and women's groups all lent their support for her run.
"She was committed to reaching out to Jewish communities across the country," said Matthew Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition.
The RJC leadership raised money for her and the group's political action committee gave her $6,000, Brooks said.
The Jewish vote could not have been a huge factor in the race, as there are only an estimated 10,000 Jews in Hawaii out of a total population of more than 1.2 million people.
Moreover, Hawaii's Jewish community, like the general Jewish population, tends to vote Democratic.
But Lingle, a moderate Republican who is pro-choice and against school prayer, thinks she will relate well to the Jewish community and to a lot of Democrats.
"I can't think of anything we'd be differing on," she said.
Lingle says her Jewish heritage has aided her political career in Hawaii because it has given her a better understanding of diversity, helping her connect with citizens of different religious and ethnic backgrounds.
Lingle is a member of a Jewish congregation on the island of Maui and attends Lubavitch services in Honolulu on the island of Oahu.
There also are a Reform synagogue and a Conservative synagogue in Honolulu.
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