HILO — Former County Councilwoman Brenda Ford announced her candidacy Thursday for the state House District 5 seat being vacated by Rep. Richard Creagan.
Ford, 70, is running as a Democrat. The sprawling House district covers Naalehu to portions of Holualoa.
The outspoken Ford was known for her advocacy of elections and public safety issues while on the council, where she served eight years before being term-limited in 2014.
“I think there are state issues that impact all the counties, including Hawaii County,” Ford said. “My goal is to represent the district and the county on the important issues.”
Ford said some of the state-level issues she’ll be concentrating on if elected include fair reapportionment and redistricting, fair elections using the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and Vote By Mail to increase voter turnout.
In addition, she’ll push for more affordable housing, more homeless shelters, increased funding for battered women’s shelters, improved flood plain maintenance, more state control of invasive species, 100 percent Kona and 100 percent Ka‘u coffee labeling, GMO-free coffee, the construction of the Captain Cook Police Station and a second well in Ocean View, possibly with federal funding or assistance.
In 2001, before joining the County Council, Ford was a plaintiff in a lawsuit against Hawaii County’s Reapportionment Commission to obtain a fair and equal vote for each person in Hawaii County.
The lawsuit was won at the Hawaii State Supreme Court. In the next election cycle, the Supreme Court forced the state to create an equitable reapportionment map. The Big Island gained another elected state representative based on that lawsuit.
Creagan, also a Democrat, is vacating his seat to run for the state Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Josh Green, a Democrat running for lieutenant governor.
On the County Council, Ford pushed for land for the Captain Cook Police Station, more ocean safety equipment and life guard towers for beaches, improvements at county parks and radios for police officers to carry when they leave their vehicles.
Ford said she further supports the Fire Department by personal donations to the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation for specialized rescue and recovery equipment that the county cannot provide.
She used her district county contingency fund allowance for public health by providing $50,000 to the West Hawaii Community Health Center — Keiki Dental Clinic for children who have no dental insurance.
Other funds went for the Mobile Care Van to provide medical and dental services in rural areas, the battered women’s shelter in Kona and for school programs to reduce teen dating violence. She publicly supported Ke Kama Pono, which is a group living facility for boys in West Hawaii. She also assisted in getting free vaccinations for about 600 people in North and South Kona, Ocean View and Volcano.