(BIVN) – Former Hawaiʻi Governor Neil Abercrombie made a return to the political stage in Hilo on Monday night, delivering a fiery speech on the eve of Election Day.

Abercrombie was the closing orator at the Democratic Party Grand Rally. The event is traditionally held at the Moʻoheau Bandstand the night before every primary and general election in Hawaiʻi.

Abercrombie recalled the Democrats of the past, like Patsy Mink and Gil Kahele, as he looked forward to the future and returning “this country to the basic values that made it what it is and what the Democratic Party has always stood for.”

The former governor talked about “the argument against [Democrats]”, in which everybody says Hawaiʻi “is a one-party state”.

“Well, there’s a reason it’s a one-party state. Because the Democrats have delivered for the people time after time after time. We’re going to do it, now we’re going to keep on doing it.”

But Abercrombie also delivered a message of caution to Democrats. “We have to make certain that the Democratic Party, which is so all-powerful in terms of its electoral power in the state of Hawaiʻi, does not devolve and degenerate into factions,” he said. “That we put before us, regardless of the base from which one comes – in any particular precinct or district across the state – we have to remind ourselves that we’re Democrats first and put our eyes on the prize. We need to demonstrate that the Democratic Party is not taking anything for granted.”