Congressional candidate Tulsi Gabbard’s decision to resign from the Honolulu City Council on Thursday sent the Oahu political community into a frenzy, with at least 10 potential successors putting out their election feelers.
Former Honolulu City Councilman Jon Yoshimura said he will run in a special election to fill out the two remaining years of Gabbard’s term.
A number of people prominent in the Oahu political scene also are considering placing their names on the ballot, including outgoing state Sen. Carol Fukunaga; state Reps. John Mizuno and Karl Rhoads; unsuccessful congressional candidate Esther Kia‘aina; former state Rep. Sam Aiona; former state Sen. Dennis Nakasato; city Information Technology Director Gordon Bruce; city Customer Service Director Gail Haraguchi; and Democratic Party Oahu County Secretary Bixby Ho.
Council Chairman Ernie Martin said candidates will have from Wednesday to Aug. 31 to submit nomination papers to run in the winner-take-all sprint to the general-election finish line on Nov. 6.
Gabbard resigned Thursday morning, stating that she was advised by election officials that she would have to quit her Council seat immediately if the vote to find her successor was to be placed on the general election ballot.
She won the Democratic primary for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District seat Saturday.
If Gabbard had not resigned and if she were to win the congressional election in November, the city would have been forced to pick her replacement through a separate, all-mail election that would have cost an estimated $150,000. Her Republican opponent is Kawika Crowley of Hilo.
"I arrived at this decision after careful consideration of what is in the best interest of taxpayers and putting the people of Hawaii first," Gabbard said.
Yoshimura served on the Council from 1994 to 2002, when he lost a state Senate run to Republican Gordon Trimble. Months earlier, in April 2002, Yoshimura was suspended from practicing law for six months for lying to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel about whether he had been drinking before a 1999 hit-and-run traffic accident in which he hit a parked car.
Now 53 and an executive with a solar company, Yoshimura has retained a residence in lower Punchbowl even through a stint as a Washington staff aide to retiring U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka. He moved back to Honolulu in October.
Among those who described themselves Wednesday as "seriously considering" a run were Fukunaga, Aiona, Nakasato and Bruce.
Makiki resident Fukunaga, 64, is a Democrat who lost to incumbent Democrat Brian Taniguchi last weekend, ending a 20-year stint in the Senate.
Makiki resident Aiona, 46, is a Republican who last held a House seat in 1998 and has run unsuccessfully in several other elections since.
Kalihi Valley resident Nakasato, 64, spent 14 years in the Legislature, 1980-94, the last eight as a state senator.
Downtown resident Bruce, 63, who will be out of a job in January because Mayor Peter Carlisle was defeated Saturday, would be making his first entry into politics.
State Reps. Rhoads and Mizuno said they are also interested but added they would need several days to explore their options. Both face interesting but different dilemmas after winning primary fights Saturday.
Downtown resident Rhoads, 49, won re-election to his District 29 (Chinatown-Kalihi) seat because there is no Republican seeking the office. Rhoads would need to resign from his seat.
State elections spokesman Rex Quidilla said it’s up to the House leadership to declare Rhoads re-elected; then he can resign.
Kalihi Valley resident Mizuno, 47, may not be able to run at all.
Mizuno had no rival in the Democratic primary Saturday in his bid to be re-elected as representative for District 28 (Kamehameha Heights-Kalihi Valley), but does face Republican Carole Kaapu in the general. Mizuno said he would like to be on both the House and Council ballots, but Quidilla said he would not able to do that. In fact, state law may bar him from running for the Council at all since he can remove himself as a candidate for the House seat only if he is ill.
Kia‘aina finished third behind Gabbard and Mufi Hannemann in the primary. She resides in Nanakuli but owns a vacant condominium unit in the Punahou area within District 6, which runs from Makiki to Aiea Heights. Kia‘aina said she’s being urged to run by her supporters.
Haraguchi, 55, of Nuuanu, also is a Carlisle employee who will be out of a job come January.
Gabbard’s departure means District 6 will be without a Council member during monthly full Council and committee meetings from September to November.
But Council Chairman Martin said he doesn’t expect the Council to end up with any 4-4 tie votes on crucial issues during that time.
The Federal Transit Administration is expected to approve in the coming months a Full Funding Grant Agreement that would clear the way for the city to get $1.55 billion for the $5.27 billion transit project.
The Council is expected to vote to receive the money after that happens. Martin said he didn’t expect a close vote on the approval because recent key votes on rail-related measures have been approved 7-2.
"If the full funding grant agreement comes before us before the end of the year, my understanding is that only a simple majority (of five votes) vote would be needed," Martin said, noting that a recent OK to extend a line of credit to the project was approved 7-2.
"So even if we lose one member, it still looks like it would be favorable to approve a Full Funding Grant Agreement."
Gabbard’s Council staff, led by senior aide Dean Masuno, will stay on to help with constituent matters.
Tulsi Gabbard’s resignation letter
