Nicole Ferguson
Nicole Ferguson was a 2014 Democratic candidate for District 42 of the Hawaii House of Representatives.
Biography
Ferguson's professional experience includes working for the Hawaii State Legislature, as a research fellow for the National Science Foundation, and as a lecturer at the University of Hawaii in West Oahu.[1]
Campaign themes
Ferguson's website has emphasized the following campaign themes:[2]
Preserve and strengthen the future of agriculture in Hawaii
- Excerpt: "I strongly believe that supporting farming in Hawaii should be one of the top priorities. To do so, I would help develop a farm-to-school program to provide locally-grown produce to public schools in the State. I also would set a goal of 20% of our food being grown in Hawaii by 2020."
Support and provide for a strong economy
- Excerpt: "There is a huge opportunity for Hawaii to create more jobs in the green economy. By putting in place policies that support renewable energy, energy efficiency, and local agriculture, Hawaii could experience a real revitalization. I also believe that we should support small, local businesses as much as possible, as they create local jobs and recirculate money within the islands."
Provide an excellent public education for students at every level
- Excerpt: "We need to ensure that there is adequate funding to our public schools in order to keep class sizes small, allow for project-based learning, and improve classrooms. I also support developing a fully state-funded preschool program."
Achieve energy sustainability
- Excerpt: "Research shows that Hawaii could be powered entirely by renewables. We need to ambitiously pursue renewable energy goals by incorporating solar, biofuels, wave, OTEC, wind, and geothermal. One of my top priorities would be to ensure that the local utility allows more solar onto the grid."
Protect and preserve Hawaii’s environment
- Excerpt: "We need to commit to policies to support Hawaii’s environment. For example, we should urgently increase funding for new Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) officers. On some of the neighbor islands, there are a only a handful of officers in charge of enforcing regulations in forest reserves, coastal zones, and marine protected areas. Clearly, the first step would be to ensure we have enforcement of existing environmental laws, and this could be accomplished by increasing the number of DOCARE officers."
Reform our government, supporting transparency in government and free, fair, and democratic elections
- Excerpt: "Hawaii currently has the lowest voter turnout in the country; this clearly needs to change. I welcome initiatives such as the recently-passed measure allowing for same-day voter registration and will support similar initiatives to increase voter participation."
Support strong labor practices, good jobs, and fair pay
- Excerpt: "I believe unions are a strong force for good in Hawaii, and are important advocates for working individuals. I am in favor of the recent minimum wage increase, and would support tying the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as suggested by many economists, so that the minimum wage rises in step with the cost of living."
Adopt transportation policies that improve our quality of life
- Excerpt: "Hawaii is blessed with weather in which we can bike, walk, and skateboard year-round. We should expand programs such as Safe Routes to School, increase bike lanes, and ensure that sidewalks are adequate. I support increasing HOV lanes and increasing the number of bus routes. Doing so would increase the number of passengers per vehicle, which would in turn reduce the number of cars on the road."
Endorsements
Ferguson was endorsed by Sierra Club Hawaii, Patsy Mink PAC, and the Hawaii Government Employees Association.[3]
Elections
2014
Elections for the Hawaii House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 9, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 3, 2014. Incumbent Sharon E. Har defeated Nicole Ferguson and Michael Golojuch in the Democratic primary, while Suk Moses was unopposed in the Republican primary. Har defeated Moses in the general election.[4][5][6]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Sharon E. Har Incumbent |
71.2% | 5,133 | |
| Republican | Suk Moses | 28.8% | 2,073 | |
| Total Votes | 7,206 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Sharon E. Har Incumbent |
72.3% | 2,883 |
| Nicole Ferguson | 18.5% | 738 |
| Michael Golojuch | 9.2% | 367 |
| Total Votes | 3,988 | |
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Nicole + Ferguson + Hawaii + House"
See also
- Hawaii House of Representatives
- Hawaii House of Representatives District 42
- Hawaii House of Representatives elections, 2014
- Hawaii State Legislature
External links
- Hawaii Secretary of State - Official primary candidate list
- Official campaign website
- Nicole Ferguson on Twitter
Footnotes
- ↑ Nicole for Hawaii, "About," accessed July 22, 2014
- ↑ Nicole for Hawaii, "Issues," accessed July 22, 2014
- ↑ Nicole for Hawaii, "Endorsements," accessed July 22, 2014
- ↑ Hawaii Secretary of State, "Official primary candidate list," accessed June 6, 2014
- ↑ Hawaii Secretary of State, "Official primary election results," accessed August 25, 2014
- ↑ Hawaii Secretary of State, "Official general election results," accessed November 12, 2014
