Mayor Rick Blangiardi will try again to find the final member of the Honolulu Police Commission after his second attempt to fill the nomination ended Friday when his candidate withdrew less than 48 hours after publicly denying racism exists in Hawaii.

Larry Ignas, 77, a former East Chicago police officer and founder of private security and alarm firms, no longer wants to be considered to serve as the seventh police commissioner.

“Larry Ignas is a principled man who has lived in Hawaii for 34 years and came highly recommended. However, under the circumstances and given the expectations, he is withdrawing his name from consideration,” said Blangiardi in a statement. “I will work on vetting a new candidate to nominate to this very important position.”

Ignas was asked by Councilwoman Esther Kia‘aina at Wednesday’s City Council meeting whether there is racial discrimination in Hawaii.

Ignas said he hasn’t seen any discrimination in his more than 30 years living and working in Hawaii.

“The response that Mr. Ignas provided was somewhat alarming and concerning. In Honolulu there is no doubt our community has racism, and the conversation about racism in Honolulu is important,” said Shannon L. Alivado, commission chairwoman, speaking on the Star-Advertiser’s Spotlight webcast. “Without recognizing our past, we can’t move forward and address these shortcomings that the community does face.”

Alivado said the search for Honolulu’s 12th police chief includes vetting to ensure the successful candidate has a deep understanding of Honolulu’s different cultures and intricacies.

Ignas had highlighted his hiring of Native Hawaiians, Filipinos and Marshalleese over the years as evidence that he treats everyone equally and with respect.

His denial of racial discrimination was condemned by Council Chairman Tommy Waters and Councilwoman Radiant Cordero.

They labeled Ignas’ comments “out of touch,” “upsetting” and “insensitive and ignorant.”

State Rep. Adrian K. Tam and Rep. Jeanne Kapela both posted public messages asking for Ignas to withdraw.

“Thousands of people across the islands have marched against racial injustice in the past year, demanding reforms and accountability for victims of violence,” wrote Kapela on her Instagram account. “When we allow racial insensitivity to persist anywhere, it threatens justice everywhere.”

Before Ignas’ remarks on race, he faced questions about his police record, career in private security and lack of experience dealing with underserved communities that are disproportionately affected by policing practices.

Fourteen out of 17 people who submitted written testimony and the five who testified before the Police Commission on Wednesday opposed Ignas’ nomination.

He admitted not working much with the Native Hawaiian, Micronesian, Black and other communities of color or advocating for community issues as a member of a local organization or nonprofit.

Testifiers at Wednesday’s commission meeting reiterated that they would like to see a commissioner appointed who does not have a law enforcement background and who represents the average citizen.

“Initially, I felt it was necessary to have someone with law enforcement experience, however that will not be one of my requirements moving forward and we will see where it takes us from here,” said Blangiardi.

Blangiardi’s next nominee to serve on the commission will be his third.

The mayor’s first nominee, Benjamin Mahi, a former HPD officer who now works in private security, withdrew his nomination after questions arose about his disciplinary record while serving as an officer and his impartiality if appointed to the commission. Mahi’s spouse is an HPD lieutenant.