Duke Kahanamoku Asks Sheriff Re-election On Basis of Present Record

Kahanamoku, scion of one of the few remaining full-blooded Hawaiian families in the islands, was responsible for returning the sheriff’s office, for the first 25 years of city and county government always held by a Democrat, to the Democratic fold after it had lapsed momentarily into the hands of the Republicans with results that are too well known and too well remembered by every resident of Hawaii to repeat here.

Perhaps the most famous living exponent of the Hawaiian race is Duke P. Kahanamoku, who first spread the name of the Territory over the newspapers and magazines of the world by his swimming prowess and is now seeking re-election as sheriff of the city and county of Honolulu on the Democratic ticket.

For Sheriff

DUKE P. KAHANAMOKU

The Duke first took the world by storm when, and absolutely unknown, he went to the quadrennial Olympic games as one of the American team and made a clean sweep of all the swimming events in which he was entered, establishing several world’s records that stood for many years. He repeated this performance in the following Olympic games and ruled supreme in acquatic affairs until his voluntary retirement from active competition.

On his return to Hawaii the gratitude of the citizens of the Territory was expressed in the form of a public fund which was used to provide a residence for the Kahanamoku family.

The Duke declares in his speeches that he carries on the duties of sheriff of the city and county in the clean and sportsmanlike manner which distinguished his athletic career.

Despite inadequate appropriations provided for the greatly needed new construction at the city and county jail, which is under the jurisdiction of the sheriff’s office, Kahanamoku has established an efficient record in the conduct of this institution—a record on which he is asking renomination at re-election.

“I am a man of few words,” the Duke declares. “When I was representing Hawaii against the best swimmers in the world, I never predicted that I would win any particular race—but I think I won my share. It is the same with the present race for the sheriff’s office.”

[Duke seems to have followed in the footsteps of his father. Duke P. Kahanamoku’s father, Duke K. Kahanamoku served in various positions in the police department, ultimately reaching the rank of captain.]

(Alakai o Hawaii, 9/24/1936, p. 1)

The Hawaii Democrat, Volume 9, Number 24, Page 1. September 24, 1936.