The Democratic Party of Hawaii is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the US state of Hawaii. The party was founded in 1900 by John H. Wilson, John S. McGrew, Charles J. McCarthy, David Kawananakoa, and Delbert E. Metzger on the ideals of Jeffersonianism and Hawaiian home rule, and it opposed Hawaii's annexation to the United States. The radically nationalist Home Rule Party was the most popular party during the early 1900s, but both the extremist Home Rule Party and the fractious Democratic Party were torn apart by infighting and rejected by the public, leading to the Hawaii Republican Party emerging as the most powerful party in the state by allying the haole (white) plantation class with Native Hawaiians.
In response to the Republican planter class' importation of Puerto Rican, Korean, Japanese, and Filipino plantation workers, the Democrats became more nativist, and McCarthy and Oren Long supported the eventual repatriation of migrant workers. The party thus won over the Native Hawaiian coimmunity at the expense of Asian immigrants; until World War II, half of elected Democrats were Hawaiian and only a quarter Caucasian. However, the emergence of John A. Burns' Asian-American anti-corruption and anti-Republican movement boosted the democratic Party's support, and the Hawaii Democratic Party shifted towards egalitarianism and won the support of the Japanese community through the 442nd Infantry Regiment and the ILWU union. The party's alliance with the Asian American community led to the Hawaii Democratic Revolution of 1954, and the Democrats came to dominate Hawaiian politics after statehood. The party was soon factionalized between progressive and centrist wings starting in the late 1960s, and, since 1994, progressives have tended to dominate the party central committee.
The party is dependent on the support of professional assemblies, trade labor unions, and other institutions and organizations that provide grassroots field work and serve as a ready-made constituency for Democratic candidates, many of whom were drawn from communities of color. The partymarketed itself as the mainstream, making them appear as the party of stability and continuity, while the Republicans often came off as fringe and far from the norm.
By the 21st century, the Democratic Party's main voter blocs included Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (due to shared priorities on preserving cultural rights, protecting the environment, and promoting social welfare), labor unions (due to the Democrats' support for workers' rights, minimum wage increases, and job protection), ethnic and racial minorities (including Asian Americans who supported the party's stances on social issues, civil rights, and inclusivity), environmentalists who supported preserving Hawaii's unique ecosystem and natural beauty, and progressive voters (who supported social justice causes, income inequality, healthcare reform, and other progressive policies).
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