Republican and Democratic leaders in the Hawaii House discussed how to proceed with a vote to remove Rep. Beth Fukumoto from her post as minority leader on Wed., Feb. 1, 2017 in Honolulu. In deep-blue Hawaii, Fukumoto is considering switching parties to become a Democrat after she was pressured to resign her leadership role for criticizing President Donald Trump. Cathy Bussewitz / AP
In a statement released Wednesday, Hawaii Republican Party Chair Fritz Rohlfing urged Fukumoto to remain in the party even though she no longer was the leader. "I believe she still can fulfill an important role as a Republican member of the State House," Rohlfing said.
But, Rohlfing added, should Fukumoto choose to leave the party three months after being re-elected as a Republican, he felt it was only appropriate that she immediately resign from her seat entirely so the GOP could have time to propose replacements to Gov. David Ige.
During Wednesday's vote, fellow Republican Rep. Cynthia Thielen, who also spoke during the Women's March, criticized the caucus for punishing Fukumoto "for participating in the democratic process."
Thielen went on to defend Fukumoto's leadership and praised her contributions to the Republican Party. Adding that although she herself had no plans to leave the party she's been a member of for more than six decades, Thielen's voice broke as she criticized the GOP for pushing Fukumoto out.
"I'm going to be there and continue that fight but, God, I am sorry to lose our minority leader, someone I so deeply, deeply respect the face of Republicanism as it should be, but it won't be anymore," Thielen said.
In her 2016 op-ed, Fukumoto wrote, despite the increasing partisanship and divisiveness, she believed the GOP was worth saving.
Today, she isn't so sure.
"I think there are a lot of Republicans feeling that way right now, that the forces against change are just so strong and that even though many of us believe there's still something worth saving, we don't think we that we can do it," she said.
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