Less than 24 hours after losing their president to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, Senate Democrats acted quickly to reorganize behind state Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, the chamber’s vice president.
Kim (D, Kalihi Valley-Moanalua-Halawa) was announced Friday as the successor to Shan Tsutsui, who accepted the promotion to lieutenant governor Thursday.
"I think the Senate was in the mindset that we wanted to have the least disruption as possible," Kim said. "People were happy with their assignments, and I took over acting president — it seemed like the likely succession."
State Sen. Ronald Kouchi (D, Kauai-Niihau) was tapped as vice president, while state Sen. Brickwood Galuteria (D, Kakaako-McCully-Waikiki) continues as majority leader.
State Sen. David Ige (D, Pearl Harbor-Pearl City-Aiea) maintained chairmanship of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
Some senators said privately that Kim and Ige met Thursday night to discuss the leadership positions, and most of the caucus was in support of staying as close to the status quo as possible with opening day of the 2013 session less than three weeks away.
"We really want to focus on doing the state’s business and not having to jockey for position again," Kim said.
Kim said as president she would focus on being open, inclusive and cooperative while supporting initiatives on job creation, sustaining the economy and supporting families.
"One of the key things for me would be retooling government — how we make government smarter and more efficient," Kim said. "Of course, accountability and transparency will also be things that I’ve always been a champion of and will continue to champion as president of the Senate."
Kim also served as chairwoman of the Senate Special Committee on Accountability, which conducted an investigation into the University of Hawaii’s handling of a bogus Stevie Wonder concert event.
Tsutsui, who as Senate president was next in line to the lieutenant governorship, succeeded new U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz. Schatz was appointed Wednesday by Gov. Neil Abercrombie to fill the vacancy left by the Dec. 17 death of U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye.
By law, Abercrombie must appoint a replacement for Tsutsui’s seat representing Waihee-Wailuku-Kahului from a list of three names provided by a committee of Maui Democrats representing the vacant district.
The district comprises House Districts 8 (Waihee-Waiehu-Wailuku) and 9 (Kahului-Wailuku-Puunene).
Details of the selection process were not immediately set.
About 30 Maui Democratic Party officials from the two House districts planned to meet Friday night to discuss the timetable and process for selecting the list of nominees to be sent to the governor, said Todd Craine, chairman of the Maui Democrats.
