Aloha Reader,

Last week started with a scramble and ended with a highway full of signs 🎉😊.

In this week's email:

• A recap of last week's GOTV popups and sign-waving with Jill Tokuda
• Postcarding for Alaska, this Thursday, August 13
• Save the date: Defend the Vote, Justice and our Future - August 28
• Next beach social, coming in October

GOTV popups and sign-waving with Rep. Jill Tokuda

Monday and Thursday, we turned out for two Get Out The Vote (GOTV) popups - good crowds, good energy, and a reminder that this work is still worth doing even after a hard primary.

Then Tuesday, we got a call we weren't expecting. Rep. Jill Tokuda's campaign manager reached out and asked if KIND wanted to sign-wave with them, followed by a private pau hana. Short notice, big ask - but we rallied fast, and by Friday afternoon we had a great turnout on Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway.

It was worth every bit of the last-minute hustle. Beyond the good food, the conversation with Jill was reassuring - it's easy to feel far removed from Washington, and she closed that distance in a way that stuck with us. She's the real deal.

Mahalo to everyone who showed up for these events last week - whether you were there Monday, Thursday, Friday, or all three. Like our friends at Indivisible Hawaiʻi Statewide Network (IHSN) said in their Sunday newsletter, this primary didn't bring the turnout we needed. But you showed up anyway, and that's the work. For now, we're slowing down just a little - regrouping and getting ready for what's next.

Postcarding for Alaska: this Thursday, August 13

We have an incredible opportunity to change the leadership in Congress this fall! Trump and the Republicans have been so outrageous in the attacks on our freedoms and institutions and so blatant in their greed and corruption, that people across the country are turning against them. Congressional seats that Republicans once considered safe are now toss-ups where Democrats could win.

But we live in a blue state, so how can we have any impact?

We can help get people registered and turn out voters in states where elections are close. We're currently focusing on getting out the vote in Alaska. Although the state is considered red and has a Republican governor and congressional delegation, it has an independent streak and has elected Democrats in the past.

Why small red states matter most for postcarding

Two things make a postcard go further in a state like Alaska than in a larger, more contested race.

• Fewer voters, bigger share. In states with small overall populations, each voter reached is a larger slice of the total electorate. The Alaska Senate contest will likely be decided by just a few thousand votes.
• Less mail, more attention. In heavily targeted swing states, voters are used to being flooded with campaign mail every election cycle and tend to tune it out. Voters in traditionally red states like Alaska get far less of this outreach - especially GOTV mail encouraging them to vote Democratic. So a friendly, personal postcard from Hawaiʻi - a place most people already love - is more likely to stand out, get read, and be remembered.

​Mary Peltola, Alaska's former at-large U.S. Representative and the first Alaska Native person elected to Congress, is challenging Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up, and Peltola has significantly outraised Sullivan in recent fundraising reports - a sign of real momentum in a state that hasn't elected a Democratic senator in decades.

TAKE ACTION: Join us this Thursday, August 13, from 1:30-3:00 pm at Gypsea Gelato in Kealakekua. We will provide you with postcards, a script, and names and addresses. We ask that you provide postcard stamps for the postcards. Register.

If you can't make it to Gypsea Gelato, or if you prefer to write from the comfort of your own home - we have you covered! You can pick up a postcard packet that includes instructions/script and names and addresses to do at home. You can find all the options to help out on our postcarding page.

Save the date: Defend the Vote, Justice and our Future

On Friday, August 28, people across the nation will rally to defend the vote, justice, and our future. We'll join them, because the work isn't finished.

We're rallying for three reasons:

• To defend the vote: The protections our parents and grandparents fought for are being weakened.
• To defend civil rights: Attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion are attempts to roll back access and opportunity, and none of us want to live in the last century.
• For economic justice: Too many families are still fighting for fair wages, affordable housing, and a real chance to build wealth.

Our fight isn't left versus right. It's top versus bottom. This isn't about one election - it's a long fight, and it won't be easy to win. But it is possible, and patience and engagement do matter.

When: Friday, August 28, 2026, 4:00-5:00 pm
​Where: Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway, south of Henry Street, mauka of the Mormon Temple (our usual rally spot)
​Parking: Use one of the larger lots on Henry Street. Please don't park on the road shoulder on Queen Kaʻahumanu.

RSVPs help us reach you fast if anything changes at the last minute.

TAKE ACTION: RSVP here​

Next beach social in October

Summer has been busy, and attendance at our monthly gathering at Kahaluʻu Beach Park has reflected how packed people's holiday weekends have been. Since our usual Sunday falls on Labor Day weekend next month, we've decided to skip that gathering and start back up with renewed vigor in October. We plan to add speakers to our beach socials in the fall, so we'll look forward to seeing you then.

Postcarding usually happens at Kahaluʻu Beach Park a couple hours beforehand, so with next month's social on pause, we're moving the Sept. 6 postcarding to a different location. If you're already registered, you'll get an email soon with the new spot. Not signed up yet? Register here.

Rest up this week. We'll see you on the sidewalk soon.

Sam & the KIND Leadership Team

Want to support our work? Donate here​ ​​​​ P.S. You may also receive the Sunday newsletter from the Indivisible Hawai'i Statewide Network, which includes both national and state news. Our newsletter emphasizes county and local events and actions specific to the Kona Coast of the Big Island.

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