Ira Rohter, a pioneer in the fight to end the dominance of big money over our political process, passed away on June 22nd. Ira Rohter was a man who made quite an impression on those who he encountered. A political activist for over four decades, Rohter had the opportunity to touch many lives. After earning his doctorate from Michigan State University, he became a professor at the University of Hawaii in 1968. There he taught a variety of courses on the politics of Hawaii and the ecology of the state. An advocate of social justice issues, Rohter immersed himself in a number of public policy battles including those surrounding campaign finance reform and alternative energy. The Honolulu Advertiser reports “Rohter was a founding member of the Transformational Politics section of the American Political Science Association. In 1992 he helped found the Hawaii Green Party, and served as a co-chair for many years. Most recently, he served as the president of the Hawaii Clean Elections project and as a vice president of the Hawaii Coalition Against Legalized Gambling.”

Ira was known to exude an immense passion for the issues he cared about and personal compassion for the people he cared about. Kory Payne, executive director of Voter Owned Hawaii, had a close relationship with Rohter while he served as president of their board. “Even though we constantly talked about important issues of the day, topics with gravity, it was still fun to talk with Ira.  All of it was talked about with a grain of salt, a realization that we can't take ourselves too seriously.  Even when talking about the things that make us angry it would be sprinkled with laughs and humor,” said Payne. “Ira was willing to be a good friend.  So many times after Board meetings, we would hang out and talk.  He was constantly thinking about what I was going through personally and would steer the conversation in a way that constantly left me with subtle advice on how to make my life tick a little better.”

Colleagues also saw Ira as a strong political thinker and a man of great intellect. Tory Griffith, the former western states director for Public Campaign, related that his sharp understanding of history and ability to engage those around him made him a great professor. “I know his students loved him, he was really terrific at getting scores and scores of student to intern, because he was so excited about the issue of Fair Elections. He saw it as more than just the mechanics of elections – he saw it as an issue of fairness.” Payne echoed this sentiment, noting that the students who came to intern with Voter Owned Hawaii were extremely easy to work with because they “understood the gravity of the work we were doing and the potential implications of what a public funding option for elections could do…I know this was a clear reflection of Dr. Rohter's tone and leadership in his class.”

Rohter’s hands on approach to organizing allowed him to forge deep bonds with students, volunteers and colleagues alike. His vigor and enthusiasm for Clean Elections will be remembered and he will be deeply missed.