Peter Carlisle:

The longtime city prosecutor resigns to pursue Mufi Hanne- mann’s old job

After winning four elections and serving longer than any elected city prosecutor, Peter Carlisle resigned yesterday to run for Honolulu mayor.

Carlisle, 57, served for 14 years as head of the office that has more than 100 deputy prosecutors and about 250 staff members.

First Deputy Prosecutor Douglas Chin will serve as acting prosecutor until a new prosecutor is elected, Carlisle said.

Carlisle is seeking the seat left vacant when Mufi Hannemann resigned Tuesday to run for governor.

Others seeking the mayor’s post include city Managing Director Kirk Caldwell, who is serving as acting mayor, City Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz, University of Hawaii engineering professor Panos Prevedouros and City Councilman Rod Tam.

Carlisle submitted his resignation letters to the city clerk and Council Chairman Todd Apo.

The City Council is expected to discuss today the timing of the special elections to fill the remaining two years of Hannemann’s term and the two years of Carlisle’s term.

Options include holding the special elections with the Sept. 18 primary or the Nov. 2 general election.

Carlisle said he appointed Franklin Pacarro Jr., a candidate for the prosecutor’s post, as the first deputy prosecutor to ensure Pacarro would take over the acting post in the event Chin was not able to head the office.

Carlisle said he picked Pacarro because he is running for the prosecutor position. Carlisle said another reason is he has the "utmost confidence" in Pacarro.

Carlisle has made it known that he plans to vote for Pacarro to succeed him.

Darwin Ching is also a candidate for prosecutor. Ching resigned earlier this year as director of the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to run for the office.

Chin said he does not plan to run for prosecutor and does not plan on any major changes at the office while he is the acting head.