This year ends giving Hawaii’s politicians little assurance for smooth sailing into the 2018 elections. And even more worry for a public saying, “Is this all we get?”

If there was a winner this year, it was the public employees, who with little turmoil won pay raises from the taxpayers.

If there was a loser, it would be Gov. David Ige, who started the year on the defensive, defending a $28.5 billion state budget that House Finance Committee Chairwoman Sylvia Luke called “borderline schizophrenic.”

By the time he gave his third State of the State address, Ige was facing such a revolt from his fellow Democrats in the Legislature that he revised his own budget, saying a slowing state economy will require “adjustments.”

Ige also ended 2017 swatting down another crisis in the state Tax Department and a slim list of accomplishments to show off in the coming election.

And in a year-ending moment of uncertainty, Ige sort of juggles his own staff by taking his much-criticized Transportation director, Ford Fuchigami, and making him his administrative director — but keeping the fellow who was running the office, Mike McCartney, as chief of staff but with dramatically trimmed responsibilities.

So far, Ige has been left to carry on without much criticism from his principal political opponent, U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa.

The Waianae Democrat confirmed rumors that she will leave Congress a second time to try for another political office, but then has been mostly silent. Hanabusa reports that she has been quietly campaigning and organ- izing on the neighbor islands, but at year’s end she has done little publicly to expand a gubernatorial platform or offer specifics regarding a Hanabusa governorship.

Two other major political figures are carrying on in a tough year, but with vastly different approaches.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer and had a kidney removed in May and then recently reported “some small spots in my thyroid gland.” She has started a new round of treatment and has redoubled her work in Washington. Last week Hirono was one in a group of senators calling for President Donald Trump to resign because of the repeated charges of sexual harassment allegations against him.

“He’s a misogynist and admitted sexual predator, and a liar. The only thing that will stop him from attacking us — because nobody is safe — is his resignation,” Hirono said.

Back home in Hawaii, Mayor Kirk Caldwell begged the Legislature for money to finish the city’s overbudget rail project, and while not getting all he said was needed, lawmakers still increased funding. But Caldwell will be out of office at the end of 2020 and he leaves an unfinished transit project that remains a mounting source of financial uncertainty for all Oahu residents.

Finally, Joe Souki, a veteran lawmaker and two-time speaker of the House, was ousted from his leadership role in the closing minutes of the 2017 regular legislative session.

Given the uncertainty and challenges looming in 2018, Souki reporting for political and legislative duty with the title of “House speaker emeritus” may be enough of a victory in 2017.

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays. Reach him at 808onpolitics@gmail.com.