He entered politics his selection as vice-chair of the Fifth District of the Young Republicans of Hawaii in 1952, and served on the platform committee as the 1956 Hawaii Republican Party territorial convention. He was elected to the state house as the only Republican from the 10th district, but lost reelection in the 1962 election.
He was an Eagle Scout. Bains-Jordan attended the first National Scout jamboree alongside forty-seven other members of Boy Scout Troop 10.[6][2] He was selected to serve as chair of the 1938 Boy Scouts Makahiki by general chair Charles Crane.[7][2] He served as district committeeman of the Boy Scouts for two years.[2]
Bains-Jordan joined the Honolulu United States Junior Chamber in 1945, served as a director for multiple years, was selected to serve as treasurer in 1947, elected as second vice-president in 1948, and later became first vice-president. In 1951, he was selected to replace Arthur W. Campbell as president of the Junior Chamber.[8][9] He served as vice-chair of the 48th state fair and as chair of the 49th state fair.[2][10]
Bains-Jordan was selected as vice-chair of the Fifth District of the Young Republicans of Hawaii in 1952.[11] Bains-Jordan served on the platform committee at the 1956 Hawaii Republican Party territorial convention.[12]
Hawaii House of Representatives
Elections
Henry Haina, the chairman of the Young Republican Federation of Hawaii's candidates committee, listed Bains-Jordan as a possible candidate for a seat in the Hawaii House of Representatives from the 10th district alongside George Richardson, H.C. Penhallow, Daniel K. Kamalani, and Thomas Soga.[13] He filed to run for one of four seats in the 10th district as a Republican in 1959.[14] He was the Republican with the most support in the primary election and was the only Republican elected in the general election alongside Democratic nominees Larry Kuriyama, Donald Ching, and George M. Okano.[15][16]
On August 14, 1962, he announced that he would seek reelection instead of seeking election to the Hawaii Senate from the 5th district.[17] He was the Republican with the most support in the primary election, but lost in the general election becoming one of four incumbents in the state house to lose reelection with all being Republicans.[18][19]
Tenure
Bains-Jordan was appointed to serve on the Accounts, Agriculture, Economic Development, Judiciary, and Tourism committees.[20][17] During his tenure he served as the chair of the committee that designed the Hawaii State Capitol during which he visited the state capitols of Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, and Texas.[2][21]
Later life
Bains-Jordan was considered a possible successor to Arthur D. Woolaway after Woolaway stepped down as chair of the Hawaii Republican Party.[22] In 1963, he was elected to fill the vacancy on the Leeward Hospital board after the death of G.H. Webling and served as president of the board.[23] Bains-Jordan died in Madison, Alabama, on February 4, 2021.[2]
Electoral history
1959 Hawaii House of Representatives 10th district primary[15]