Kawika Crowley
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David P. "Kawika" Crowley (1952 – January 4, 2023) was a
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
an politician who was the
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
nominee for the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
from
Hawaii's 2nd congressional district Hawaii's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is currently represented by Kai Kahele, who succeeded Tulsi Gabbard following the 2020 election. The district encompasses all rural and most suburba ...
in the November 2012 election. A colorful and offbeat candidate, he achieved notability as the "homeless handyman" running for Congress. He was the first
homeless person Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...
in Hawaii and perhaps any state to be nominated for Congress on a major party ticket. In 2014, Crowley again won the Republican primary race for the 2nd Congressional district in a contested race.


Early years

By some accounts Crowley was born in Japan as the son of missionaries; by other accounts he was born in North Carolina and moved to Japan with his parents when he was six months old. He grew up speaking and reading Japanese. When he was in 8th grade, he moved to
Hilo, Hawaii Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. It is the fourth-largest settlement i ...
and learned for the first time to read English. Crowley spent his teenage years and much of his young adulthood in Hilo. He graduated from
Hilo High School Hilo High School is a Public school (government funded), public, Coeducation, co-educational high school of the Hawaii State Department of Education, and serves grades nine through twelve. Established in 1906, its first class graduated in 1909. ...
in 1969. He described himself as a "college dropout with a degree in common sense."


Political life

Crowley ran for Mayor of the Big Island of Hawaii in 1990. In 2012, Crowley defeated Matthew DiGeronimo to win the
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
nomination for Hawaii's 2nd Congressional district race. Crowley achieved 45% of the vote to his opponent's 29%. In the general election, Crowley was easily beaten by
Tulsi Gabbard Tulsi Gabbard (; born April 12, 1981) is an American politician, United States Army Reserve officer and political commentator who served as the U.S. representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021. Gabbard was the firs ...
, who became the first Hindu Member of Congress. For six years, Crowley represented interests of the Hawaii Bar Owners Association, doing lobbyist work at the Hawaii State House. He was known as "the smoking guy" for his lobbying to repeal Hawaii's ban on indoor smoking in stand alone bars, and was never seen without a cigar. He was opposed to the Honolulu Rail Project and to
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
. He was a supporter of the
Hawaiian sovereignty movement The Hawaiian sovereignty movement ( haw, ke ea Hawaiʻi), is a grassroots political and cultural campaign to re-establish an autonomous or independent nation or kingdom of Hawaii due to desire for sovereignty, self-determination, and self-gove ...
, although he had no Hawaiian ancestry.


Electoral history


Personal life and death

Divorced with three children, Crowley lived as a single parent for several years. He was a handyman and painter living in his car. He earned about $15,000 a year, putting him among the working homeless. He claimed to be a co-writer of the song Hawaiʻi '78 and to have had a history in the
Hawaiian Music The music of Hawaii includes an array of traditional and popular styles, ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock and hip hop. Styles like slack-key guitar are well known worldwide, while Hawaiian-tinged music is a frequent part ...
industry. Crowley committed suicide by jumping off Pu’ueo Bridge in downtown Hilo, on January 4, 2023.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crowley, Kawika Hawaii Republicans Hawaii politicians of Japanese descent Living people Musicians from Hawaii 1952 births