Maui Rep. Gil Keith-Agaran, who was expected to become the House majority leader in the next Legislature, has been appointed to the Senate, filling a vacancy left by former Senate President Shan Tsutsui, who became lieutenant governor.
The appointment is effective immediately.
"I was elected to represent my community," Keith-Agaran (D, Waihee-Wailuku-Kahului) said. "It’s not about my personal advancement. It’s about making sure my community is represented. … I think with Shan becoming lieutenant governor, it just left a big hole, and I felt that for my community I needed to step up and take the opportunity to go to the Senate."
Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced the appointment in a news release.
Abercrombie made the appointment from a list of three nominees submitted by the Maui Democratic Party. The other finalists, from a total of seven applicants, were Natalie A. Kama and Mary D. Wagner, both of Wailuku.
A nominating committee of about 30 Maui Democratic Party officials met Saturday to hear from the applicants and finalize the list of nominees. The county party must now hold a similar process to submit a list of three nominees to fill Keith-Agaran’s House vacancy, representing Kahului-Wailuku-Puunene.
Keith-Agaran was slated to become House majority leader under the speakership of Rep. Joe Souki (D, Waihee-Waiehu-Wailuku).
Souki is in line to become House speaker under a coalition of dissident Democrats — those opposed to Speaker Calvin Say — and the chamber’s seven Republicans. Say (D, Palolo-St. Louis Heights-Kaimuki) has agreed to step down as speaker and has backed Finance Chairman Marcus Oshiro (D, Wahiawa-Whitmore- Poamoho) as the new speaker.
Keith-Agaran already had been announced as majority leader under Souki’s leadership, meaning Souki would lose a key supporter if he is elected speaker on opening day.
Tsutsui, as Senate president, was next in line to become lieutenant governor following the appointment of former Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz to U.S. senator. Schatz filled the vacancy left by the death of U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye.
