Neil Abercrombie
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Neil Abercrombie (born June 26, 1938, in Buffalo, New York) is the former Democratic Governor of Hawaii. He served in this position from December 2010 to December 1, 2014.
Abercrombie was elected governor on November 2, 2010, having won the Democratic nomination over Mufi Hannemann in the September 18 primary. Abercrombie ran on a ticket with now-former Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz, whom Abercrombie would later appoint to the U.S. Senate.
Following veteran U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye's death in December 2012, Abercrombie appointed Schatz to fill the vacant seat over Democratic U.S. House Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, despite Inouye's explicit death-bed wish for Hanabusa to take over for him. The decision caused unrest in the Hawaii Democratic establishment and threats of a challenge from Hanabusa in the 2014 gubernatorial primary, which Abercrombie ultimately lost.[1][2][3][4][5] Although Hananbusa ultimately decided to run for U.S. Senate instead, the episode became a fixture of Abercrombie's first term.
Abercrombie lost his bid for a second term as governor in 2014. He was defeated by former state Sen. David Ige in the Democratic primary on August 9, 2014, becoming the first governor in Hawaii history to be unseated in the primary. Abercrombie was vulnerable in the 2014 election cycle, with wavering approval numbers, key endorsement losses and the emergence of formidable challengers in both the primary and general election. In the months leading up to the primary, inconsistent polling data and conflicting race projections thickened the air of uncertainty hanging over Abercrombie's re-election campaign. Still, Ige's upset by a landslide 2-1 margin, despite outspending Ige 10-1, marked a stunning early elimination for the incumbent.[6][7][8] In the aftermath of the primary, Abercrombie attributed his defeat to his decision to call a special session to legalize gay marriage in November 2013. According to Abercrombie, Republican opponents of gay marriage took advantage of the Democratic Party's open primary to vote en masse for Ige. Abercrombie's absence in the general election paved the way for the GOP to reclaim the governor's seat in the general election and ultimately block the measure's progress.[9] The general election took place on November 4, 2014.
Before becoming governor, Abercrombie represented Hawaii's 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 2010. He resigned his seat in order to focus on his gubernatorial campaign and was succeeded in Congress by Charles Djou, the first Republican elected to Congress from Hawaii since Pat Saiki. Prior to his congressional service, Abercrombie was a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1975 to 1979 and the Hawaii Senate from 1979 to 1986. He also served on the Honolulu City Council from 1988-1990.
Biography
Abercrombie was born in Buffalo, New York, to Vera June and Donald Abercrombie.[10] Upon graduating from Williamsville High School (now Williamsville South High School), he went on to pursue studies in sociology at Union College in Schenectady, New York.[11] Abercrombie received his bachelor's degree from Union College in 1959. In 1974, after moving to Honolulu, Hawaii, Abercrombie earned his Master's degree in sociology as well as his Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, where he attended classes with and befriended current United States President Barack Obama's parents, Ann Dunham and Barack Obama, Sr.[12] As a result, Abercrombie was the only member of Congress to have met Barack Obama's parents while they lived in Hawaii.
Education
- Williamsville High School
- B.A. in sociology - Union College (1959)
- M.A. in sociology - University of Hawaii at Manoa
- Ph.D in American studies - University of Hawaii at Manoa (1974)
Political career
Governor of Hawaii (2010-2014)
Abercrombie was first elected Governor of Hawaii in November of 2010 and assumed office on December 6, 2010. He was replaced by David Ige on December 1, 2014.
Issues
2014 State of the State address
In January 2014, Abercrombie gave his fourth State of the State address. Abercrombie stated that Hawaii was turning around the budget, which produced a general fund balance of $844 million in fiscal year 2013.[13] “We are stabilizing future costs and expenditures. We are concluding collective bargaining agreements, several of which are for multiple years,” he said in the address. We have taken affirmative action in addressing our state’s unfunded liabilities – for medical benefits for retirees – and pensions, salvaging both from fiscal disaster.” Abercrombie also promoted lower taxes for Hawaii senior citizens as well as supplemental budget measures that did not rely on increases in taxes or fees. “I propose to exempt any presently taxed income from all sources for taxpayers age 65 and older with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $25,000, AGI of $35,000 for heads of households, or AGI of $45,000 for joint filing. This assures these seniors will not have their retirement income taxed. This will affect as many as 25,000 or more seniors throughout Hawaii,” Abercrombie said. “I propose to double the current refundable food (and) excise tax credit for taxpayers 65 years or older whose AGI is less than $50,000. This is a direct payment to the senior taxpayer. This will affect as many as 110,000 Hawaii seniors or more.”[13]
Job creation ranking
A June 2013 analysis by The Business Journals ranked 45 governors based on the annual private sector growth rate in all 50 states using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Abercrombie was ranked number 19. The five governors omitted from the analysis all assumed office in 2013.[14][15]
Congressional appointments
On December 26, 2012, Abercrombie appointed his lieutenant governor, Brian E. Schatz, to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy left by Daniel Inouye's death on December 17, 2012. The appointment was somewhat controversial as prior to his death Inouye asked Abercrombie to appoint U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D) to his seat.
Following the appointment, Inouye's chief of staff Jennifer Sabas stated, "Sen. Inouye conveyed his final wish to Gov. Abercrombie. While we are very disappointed that it was not honored, it was the governor's decision to make. We wish Brian Schatz the best of luck."[16]
Per state law, the Hawaii Democratic Party sent Abercrombie a list of three potential replacements to chose from - Schatz, Hanabusa, and deputy state Land and Natural Resources Director Esther Kiaaina. Schatz was said to have received the most votes from the party's central committee.[17]
Judicial appointments
As governor, Abercrombie is responsible for appointing judges to the Hawaii Supreme Court, Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, and the Hawaii Circuit Courts. (The Chief Justice appoints judges to the Hawaii District Courts. The governor makes a judicial appointment after candidates are recommended by a judicial nominating commission. The nominee must be confirmed by the Hawaii State Senate before she or he takes office. For an up-to-date list of all of Abercrombie's appointees, see Judges appointed by Neil Abercrombie.
Marriage equality
On February 21, 2012, Abercrombie acknowledged that the state's marriage law "is unconstitutional because it denies same-sex couples the 'fundamental right' to marry," but noted that the state would continue to defend the statute in federal court.[18] The statement was in response to a federal lawsuit filed against the state Department of Health after a same-sex couple was denied a marriage license. A lawyer for the plaintiffs was encouraged by Abercrombie's stance on the issue. "It's an extremely significant political and moral development to have an important representative of the state, like the governor, stand up and speak his conscience," he said.[19]
U.S. Congress (1986-1987, 1990-2010)
At the end of his council tenure, Abercrombie once again ran for the U.S. House of Representatives representing Hawaii's 1st Congressional District. Winning election in 1990, he went on to be re-elected ten times. In the 2008 election, he won with 70.6% of the vote.
Abercrombie was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and compiled a generally liberal voting record. He supported and voted for the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act. On October 10, 2002, he was among the 133 members of the House who voted against authorizing the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He cosponsored H.R. 1312 (Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2005) on July 28, 2005. He took issue with the Vatican over not listing torture as a sin.[20]
According to Project Vote Smart, Abercrombie held the following issue positions while serving in Congress. He was pro-choice, and he voted against a ban on partial birth abortion. He voted with the interests of NARAL and Planned Parenthood 100% between 2000-2006. He voted for bills designed to make it easier for Americans to vote, such as the motor voter bill. He advocated strongly for civil liberties; his voting record was supported by both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and American Library Association. He also voted against a constitutional amendment to limit marriage to being between one man and one woman. Notably, he was one of only nine representatives not to cast a vote for or against the USA PATRIOT Act in 2001. In 2005, he voted against the extension of the act, calling it “a blank check to trample civil liberties." In 2007, he signed on as a co-sponsor of United States National Healthcare Act (H.R. 676), which would have established a national health insurance program.[21] He resigned from Congress shortly before the vote on the 2010 health insurance reform bill.[22]
Noteworthy events
"Mainland" earmarks
For Fiscal Year 2009, the State of Hawaii was one of the top recipients of “mainland money” in the form of Congressional earmarks, receiving $210 dollars in “mainland money” per capita ($270,736,707 total). Maine, a comparable state in population, received only $55 per capita in earmarks.
Abercrombie sought 41 earmarks for a total of $165,034,800 in “mainland money.”[23]
Honolulu City Council (1988-1990)
Abercrombie won a seat on the Honolulu City Council and served from 1988 to 1990.
Hawaii State Senate (1980-1986)
Abercrombie moved from the State House to the Hawaii State Senate, where he served from 1980 to 1986. After Representative Cecil Heftel resigned from the United States Congress in July 1986 to run for Governor of Hawaiʻi, Abercrombie was elected to the House in a September 1986 special election to complete Heftel's unexpired term. However, Abercrombie lost the Democratic primary for a full two-year term to Mufi Hannemann, who went on to lose to Republican Pat Saiki in the general election.[24]
Hawaii House of Representatives (1975-1979)
Abercrombie was a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1975 to 1979.
Elections
2014
- See also: Hawaii gubernatorial election, 2014
Abercrombie ran for a second term as Governor of Hawaii in the 2014 elections.[7] He was defeated by David Ige in the Democratic primary on August 9, 2014.
Democratic primary - August 9, 2014
| Governor of Hawaii, Democratic Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
 David Ige |
67.4% | 157,050 | ||
| Neil Abercrombie Incumbent | 31.5% | 73,507 | ||
| Van Tanabe | 1.1% | 2,622 | ||
| Total Votes | 233,179 | |||
| Election results via Hawaii Division of Elections. | ||||
Endorsements
Abercrombie's 2014 re-election campaign was endorsed by President Barack Obama.[25]
Race background
Ige defeats Abercrombie
In the Democratic primary election, state Sen. David Ige defeated Gov. Neil Abercrombie.[26][27][28] Prior to this primary, the last governor of Hawaii to lose a re-election campaign was Gov. William Francis Quinn (R) in 1962. Quinn lost to John Anthony Burns (D) in the general election.[29]
The week before the primary was held, a Honolulu Civil Beat poll of likely voters found Ige with 51 percent support to Abercrombie's 41 percent support.[30] Abercrombie was endorsed in the primary by President Barack Obama (D). Ige was endorsed by former governors Ben Cayetano and George Ariyoshi.
A New York Times article written two months before the primary election suggested that Abercrombie faced a more difficult re-election campaign due to his appointment of Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz (D) to the U.S. Senate in December 2012 following the death of Sen. Daniel Inouye (D). In a letter written before his death, Inouye requested the appointment of Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D) to his seat. The article argued that this decision sparked "a backlash that threatens to topple both Mr. Schatz and the governor — who had already been struggling during an occasionally tumultuous first term — in the Democratic primary on Aug. 9."[31]
In the aftermath of the primary, Abercrombie attributed his defeat to his decision to call a special session to legalize gay marriage in November 2013. He claimed that Republican opponents voted for Ige in the open Democratic primary. "Republicans crossed over en masse to vote in the Democratic primary, and then the religious factor came in," Abercrombie said.
Ige supported Abercrombie's decision to call for the special session. A spokeswoman for Ige's campaign, Lynn Kenton, said, "every candidate has the freedom to comment on their campaign, regardless of the outcome, and if that's what Gov. Abercrombie feels was his weaknesses, that would be for him to determine." [32]
Polls
| Hawaii Governor - General Election | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | David Ige (D) | Duke Aiona (R) | Mufi Hannemann (I) | Other | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||
| New York Times/CBS/YouGov October 16-23, 2014 | 54% | 22% | 5% | 0% | 19% | +/-6 | 1,002 | ||||||||||||
| Merriman River October 16-19, 2014 | 40% | 34% | 11% | 6% | 8% | +/-2.8 | 1,221 | ||||||||||||
| New York Times/CBS/YouGov September 20-October 1, 2014 | 41% | 35% | 6% | 0% | 18% | +/-4 | 1,319 | ||||||||||||
| Rasmussen September 9-10, 2014 | 40% | 39% | 14% | 2% | 6% | +/-4 | 750 | ||||||||||||
| AVERAGES | 43.75% | 32.5% | 9% | 2% | 12.75% | +/-4.2 | 1,073 | ||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected]. | |||||||||||||||||||
Primary election
| Governor of Hawaii - Democratic Primary | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Neil Abercrombie* | David Ige | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
| Honolulu Civil Beat/Merriman River Group (Survey of likely voters) July 24-28, 2014 | 41% | 51% | 8% | +/-3.3 | 895 | ||||||||||||||
| Honolulu Civil Beat/Merriman River Group June 7-9, 2014 | 37% | 48% | 15% | +/-3.0 | 729 | ||||||||||||||
| Honolulu Civil Beat/Merriman River Group February 12-15, 2014 | 37% | 37% | 26% | +/-3.1 | 643 | ||||||||||||||
| Honolulu Star-Advertiser February 1-11, 2014 | 47% | 38% | 14% | +/-4.3 | 528 | ||||||||||||||
| AVERAGES | 40.5% | 43.5% | 15.75% | +/-3.43 | 698.75 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected]. | |||||||||||||||||||
General Election Hypothetical Match-up
| Three way match-up (includes Hannemann) | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Neil Abercrombie* (D) | Duke Aiona (R) | Mufi Hannemann (I) | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | |||||||||||||
| Honolulu Civil Beat/Merriman River Group June 7-9, 2014 | 27% | 33% | 22% | +/-3.0 | 1,078 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected]. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Abercrombie vs. Aiona | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Neil Abercrombie* (D) | Duke Aiona (R) | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
| Honolulu Star-Advertiser February 1-11, 2014 | 40% | 48% | 12% | +/-3.9 | 642 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected]. | |||||||||||||||||||
Campaign media
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2010
- See also: Hawaii gubernatorial election, 2010
On Sunday, March 9, 2009, Abercrombie announced his intention to again run for Governor of Hawaii instead of running for an 11th term in Congress.[33] On December 11, 2009 he announced that he would resign his U.S. House seat to concentrate on his gubernatorial bid. He was succeeded in Congress by Republican Charles Djou, the first Republican elected to Congress from Hawaii since Congresswoman Pat Saiki. On November 2, 2010, Neil Abercrombie and Brian Schatz won election as Governor and Lt. Governor of Hawaii. They defeated the Aiona/Finnegan (R), Cunningham/Spence (F) and Pollard/Kama (NP) ticket(s) in the general election.
| Governor and Lt. Governor of Hawaii, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Neil Abercrombie & Brian Schatz |
58.2% | 222,724 | |
| Republican | Duke Aiona & Lynn Finnegan | 41.1% | 157,311 | |
| Free Energy | Daniel Cunningham & Deborah Spence | 0.3% | 1,265 | |
| Nonpartisan | Tom Pollard & Leonard Kama | 0.3% | 1,263 | |
| Total Votes | 382,563 | |||
| Election Results Via: Hawaii Office of Elections | ||||
Abercrombie defeated Mufi Hannemann in the September 18 Democratic primary.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
In 1981, Abercrombie married Nancie Caraway,[34] who is a political scientist and feminist writer at the University of Hawaii-Manoa's Globalization Research Center.
Abercrombie is an avid weight-lifter and has a stated goal of lifting 200 lbs more than his age on each birthday. According to reports from his former colleagues in Congress, on Abercrombie's 67th birthday, he bench pressed 267 lbs.[35]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Neil + Abercrombie + Hawaii + Governor"
See also
- Governor of Hawaii
- Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
- Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui
- Governor of Hawaii approves spending projects August 28, 2012
- Hawaiian officials sign clean energy agreement with China September 13, 2012
External links
- Office of the Governor
- Neil Abercrombie For Governor official campaign site
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Executive actions:
- Financial (state level):
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
- Congress
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial (federal level):
- Voting record:
Footnotes
- ↑ The Hill, "Source: Hanabusa receiving 'a lot of pressure' to run against Abercrombie," December 27, 2012
- ↑ KHON2, "EXCLUSIVE: Hanabusa says 2014 run for governor, Senate, House all on table," January 14, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ WMTW.com, "Inouye gave preference for successor before he died," December 18, 2012
- ↑ CBS news, "Inouye replaceent to be named Wednesday," December 24, 2012
- ↑ Civil Beat, "Inouye's Last Wish Is Abercrombie's Biggest Burden," December 24, 2012
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2014 Governors Race Ratings," May 16, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 KHON 2, " Gov. Abercrombie intends to run for re-election," April 29, 2013," accessed June26, 2013
- ↑ Real Clear Politics, "2014 Governor Races, Ratings Map," accessed June 30, 2014
- ↑ USA Today, "Hawaii gov. blames political loss on gay marriage," August 30, 2014
- ↑ Freepages, "Neil Abercrombie Genealogy," accessed September 2, 2014
- ↑ Office of the Governor of Hawaii, "Bio of Neil Abercrombie," accessed September 19, 2011
- ↑ Time, "The Story of Barack Obama's Mother," April 9, 2008
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 WatchDog.org, "Minority leaders dispute governor’s claims that Hawaii is on solid financial ground," January 23, 2014
- ↑ The Business Journals, "Governors and jobs: How governors rank for job creation in their states," June 27, 2013
- ↑ The Business Journals, "How state governors rank on their job-growth record," June 27, 2013
- ↑ Star Advertiser, "Abercrombie picks Schatz to replace Inouye in U.S. Senate," December 26, 2012
- ↑ Hawaii News Now, "Dems choose Hanabusa, Kiaaina, Schatz as finalists for Inouye Senate seat," December 26, 2012
- ↑ Hawaii Star Advertiser, "Governor concedes marriage law's bias," February 22, 2012
- ↑ Hawaii News Now, "Governor, DOH have differing responses to same-sex lawsuit," February 22, 2012
- ↑ The Honolulu Advertiser, "Abercrombie seeks Vatican's view on torture," March 17, 2008
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Neil Abercrombie Voting Record," accessed August 23, 2010
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Neil Abercrombie"
- ↑ Hawaii Reporter, "The Hypocrisy of Putting Down ‘Mainland Money’ Flowing into Hawaii," October 31, 2010
- ↑ NPR, "Democrats Poised to Make Gubernatorial Gains," September 26, 2007, accessed August 23, 2010
- ↑ Hawaii News Now, "Obama endorses Gov. Abercrombie for re-election," December 20, 2013
- ↑ Real Clear Politics, "2014 Governor Races, Ratings Map," accessed June 30, 2014
- ↑ Hawaii Division of Elections, "Primary Election 2014 Results - Final Summary Report," accessed May 7, 2021
- ↑ Politico, "Schatz-Hanabusa race too close to call," August 10, 2014
- ↑ Honolulu Civil Beat, "Ige Holds Healthy Lead Over Abercrombie in Hawaii Governor’s Race," June 12, 2014
- ↑ Honolulu Civil Beat, "Civil Beat Poll: Ige Maintains Solid Lead Over Abercrombie," July 31, 2014
- ↑ The New York Times, "A Disregarded Request From a Beloved Senator Shakes Up Hawaii’s Primary," June 29, 2014
- ↑ USA Today, "Hawaii gov. blames political loss on gay marriage," August 30, 2014
- ↑ Hawaii News No, "Neil Abercrombie formally announces run for Hawaii governor's seat," September 3, 2009, accessed August 23, 2010
- ↑ New York Times, "NANCIE E. CARAWAY MARRIED TO NEIL ABERCROMBIE," July 19, 1981
- ↑ The Hill, "Menendez: Turn the tables on journos," July 6, 2005 (dead link)
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Linda Lingle (R) |
Governor of Hawaii 2010 - 2014 |
Succeeded by David Ige (D) |
| Preceded by Cecil Heftel |
U.S. House of Representatives 1986 - 1987, 1991 - 2010 |
Succeeded by Charles Djou (R) |
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