MILILANI, Hawaii (AP) — Hawaii's Republican Party has just five representatives in the 51-member state House.
All 25 state senators are Democrats, as is the governor and the entire congressional delegation.
Republican Party chairwoman Shirlene Ostrov says the party is trying to rebuild by bringing in experienced campaign staffers from the mainland, building its donor base and recruiting candidates.
But there is a long way to go. The party is contesting just 5 of the 13 state Senate seats up for election next month and only 17 of the 51 House seats.
The GOP in Hawaii has struggled since the 1950s, as labor unions increasingly organized workers in once numerous sugar and pineapple plantations. Democrats first swept into power that decade ushered in a minimum hourly wage and more spending on education.
