Randy Truitt
Member of Indiana
House of Repre-
sentatives, and a
REALTOR®
His big issue: destigmatizing former
meth-lab homes. “I’ve appreciated how
involved REALTORS® are, especially in
the political process,” he says, “the way
they come down to testify and reach out
to do calls for action. The depth at which
REALTORS® are involved in the community is something that is very important.”
Jim Johnston
City Councilman
in Pocatello, Idaho,
and a REALTOR®
His big issue:
economic development. “REALTORS®
should be reflecting the values of the
community. They’re in tune with the pulse
of the population,” says Johnston, ABR,
CRS, “so when they give me suggestions
for our community, I listen. When those I
do business with every day are willing to
support me in public office, that’s huge.”
Gene McLaurin
North Carolina
State Senator
His big issue:
Reforming laws
governing real estate restrictions. “I rep-
resent a rural part of North Carolina, and
the real estate industry is so crucial to our
economic recovery,” he says. “The rural
areas have not really recovered from the
downturn. REALTORS® have done a great
job of seeing the larger picture and not
just advocating for resort-like areas.”
power of R
your impact
Power of R showcases the value of the REALTOR®
organization and the impact of REALTORS® in action.
Share your stories on Facebook or Twitter using #PowerofR, or contact Graham Wood at gwood@realtors.org. Read more at realtor.org/powerofr.
Michelle Del Rosario and former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, left.
Grateful for the Support
Backing from the REALTORS® Political Action Committee has helped
candidates across the country advance the REALTOR® cause.
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Outside the Party Line
Michelle Del Rosario wants to give people options—and we’re
not talking real estate. She’s giving them a choice at the ballot
box. Growing increasingly disillusioned with Hawaii’s two-party
political system, the principal broker of Maui & Co. Real Estate,
Makawao, on the island of Maui, teamed up with former Maui
Mayor Charmaine Tavares to form the Hawaii Independent
Party. Though HIP is in its infancy (it became official in February), the party has big aspirations: Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi
Hannemann has announced that he will seek the governorship
in November on the HIP ticket.
Del Rosario, the former vice chair of the Democratic Party of
Hawaii, says that HIP “evolved organically” during discussions
she had with Tavares. “We asked each other, ‘Do we vote the
party ticket when we go to the election box?’ No, not typically,”
Del Rosario recalls. “Today, I could have a larger impact sup-
porting a third party. ... Every state has a process to start a new
political party. We don’t have all the answers, but we’re going to
figure it out along the way.”
Hannemann says he decided to run for governor as a HIP
candidate in response to “people’s frustration with the status
quo in Hawaii politics. HIP is about Hawaii and putting the inter-
ests of our people first.”
$8.1M Raised by RPAC in 2013
Number of state and local candidates supported
by NAR independent expenditures in 2012–13
To learn more about RPAC and how you can get involved, visit http://realtoractioncenter.com/rpac.
Number of REALTOR® candidates
supported in the same period 494 137
