Campagna Announces Candidacy for 2nd Congressional District

Sherry Campagna. Courtesy photo.

Sherry Campagna will publicly announce her candidacy for Hawai‘i’s Second Congressional District on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, at noon in the Atherton Building of the YWCA Kokokahi on Kaneohe Bay Drive on O‘ahu.

Campagna is an environmental scientist, small business owner and mom, her campaign press release said.

She has been an agent for social change her entire adult life, initially as an advocate for racial equality as a Native Hawaiian during her college years then later widening her scope to include women’s rights and class disparities according to the release.

She is a commissioner with the Hawa‘ii Commission on the Status of Women and the former Hawai‘i State Chair of the Women’s March on Washington.

“Sherry has long been an outspoken and effective advocate for women’s rights, struggling families, marginalized groups, and global responsibility. I enthusiastically support [her] candidacy for Hawai‘i’s Second Congressional District as would my sister, the late iconic civil rights attorney, Flo Kennedy,” said Faye Kennedy.

“I decided to run for this very important position because the people of CD2 deserve a representative who will remain a true servant to their needs in Congress,” said Campagna. “While I am not a politician—I am a proven leader, confident that I will succeed in protecting the people of CD2 and their families, growing a thriving community and preserving the ‘āina.”

Campagna was born in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, and grew up around the world as a dependent of the Department of Defense. Her family is of Native Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese and Polish ancestry. She launched and co-owns a small environmental planning, permitting, remediation and renewable energy company, Kamaka Green, which was responsible for the master environmental plan for Pohakuloa Training Area on Hawai‘i Island, the Matson Molasses Spill Emergency Response and Waikoloa Unexploded Ordnance Remediation.

NONPROFIT WORK

Campagna has served her community through the following organizations:

• Olomea, a nonprofit that helps foster kids aging out of care;
• As the director of the Kinaole Foundation, a nonprofit that helps veterans start their own businesses;
• As a director for the YWCA of Oahu;
• Fund development chair for TEDxHonolulu,
• Member of the Ahahui Kaahumanu;
• Member of the Kalihi Palama Native Hawaiian Civic Club,
• Member of the Prince Kuhio Native Hawaiian Club,
• A commissioner for the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women; and,
• The Hawaii Statewide Chair for Women’s March On Washington.

Campagna hopes to dedicate herself to the continued service of CD2 through economic justice, job creation, prison reform, environmental stewardship, healthcare and equal rights.

COMMUNITY CHANGE

Campagna has been an agent for social change her entire adult life, initially as an advocate for racial equality as a Native Hawaiian, during her college years then later widening her arena to include women’s rights and class disparities, her press releases said.

Foster Care Reform: Sherry has been a foster care system reform advocate for over a decade and recently won a landmark court decision based on a class action lawsuit awarding foster families an increase in care payments, which had not been matched for inflation or the cost of living in 24 years. Without such an increase, the retention of quality foster care families for foster children in need remained unnecessarily encumbered.

Through Olomea, the nonprofit Sherry founded, she succeeded in legislatively increasing the the cutoff age for foster children receiving care from 18 to 21.

Women’s March on Washington D.C.: Sherry was one of the original national organizers of Women’s March who rallied over 15,000 people on Oahu, including 5,000 on Maui; 3,000 on Kauai; 7,000 on Hawaii Island. The largest recorded public demonstration in the history of the state both collectively as a state and in each district.

As the state chair, Sherry organized a focused team of 200 volunteers that she lead in organizing the statewide rallies and marches. She also brought 200 Hawaii advocates and allies to Washington, D.C., to participate in the 2 million-person march to the Capitol.

FAMILY

Campagna and her ‘ohana live on the island of O‘ahu but spend significant time on the Hāmākua Coast of Hawai‘i Island where they have a farm. She has Native Hawaiian roots on Kaua‘i and Maui with extensive ‘ohana on Hawai‘i Island.

About Hawai‘i’s Second Congressional District

Hawai‘i’s Second Congressional District encompasses all rural and most suburban areas of O‘ahu/Honolulu County, as well as the entire state outside of O‘ahu. Besides Honolulu, the district includes the counties of Hawai‘i, Kaua‘i, Maui and Kalawao. The district spans 331 miles. The most populous community entirely within the district is Hilo.

The district is represented by Democrat Tulsi Gabbard.