Cynthia Thielen

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Cynthia Thielen (born Sept. 22, 1933), is a member of the Republican Party, represents the 50th House District in the Hawaii State House of Representatives of the Hawaii State Legislature. The 50th District includes the areas of Kailua, Mokapu and Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu, in the state of Hawaii. Thielen was first elected to the House in 1990.

In 2006, Thielen was asked to challenge U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka by Governor Linda Lingle after Gerald Coffee won the 2006 Republican primary ballot but had previously dropped out of the Senate race due to health problems. Thielen ran a decent campaign, touting her progressive record but, in the end was unsuccessful in her bid to unseat Akaka.

Thielen recieved her JD degree from William S. Richardson School of Law in the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Thielen also has a BA degree with high honors from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Rep. Thielen, an anomaly amongst Republicans presently serving as legislators, has a good to excellent environmental voting record. (see external links to Sierra Club Legislative Scorecared below). During the 2005 legislative session, Thielen, again alone amongst other Republicans, voted for bills that would prohibit Hawaii's landlords and employers from discriminating against gays, lesbians or transsexuals.

A Honolulu Advertiser article dated October 1, 2006 and entitled, Thielen's campaign packs zeal for renewable energy, Derrick DePledge reports on Thielen's professional and political history:

Thielen, as an environmental attorney before she got into politics, fought for Hawaiian access to the Navy's former bombing range at Kaho'olawe and opposed the H-3 Freeway because of the potential for Windward sprawl. She also worked with the poor as an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Hawai'i. She is a direct descendant of the American patriot Patrick Henry ("Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!") — but said she respects the sovereignty rights of Hawaiians and their spiritual connection to the Islands.
"I developed very deep roots with the Hawaiian community," she said of her legal work with Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana. "Those are bonds I will always cherish."
Thielen ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 1986 before winning her House seat in 1990. She has supported abortion rights, physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill and industrial hemp. She has opposed legalizing gambling and expanding the right to carry concealed firearms.
Thielen has also opposed a tax increase for a Honolulu rail project, which Akaka and the rest of the state's congressional delegation have backed to give commuters an alternative to traffic congestion. She said rail would not be used by enough people to justify the cost but she would consider alternatives like high-occupancy toll lanes to reduce traffic. "I don't think rail is the answer," she said. [1]

Member of the following House committees:

Contact:

Hawaii State Capitol, Room 443
415 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
phone: 808-586-6480
fax 808-586-6481
E-mail: repthielen@Capitol.hawaii.gov
Website: http://www.cynthiathielen.com/

External Links

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