Nearly a month after the election, seven new Hawaii representatives lack Capitol offices as the result of an unsettled House leadership struggle, delaying preparations for the first lawmaking session under Gov.-elect Neil Abercrombie’s leadership.

These freshmen legislators have been doing business from home, offices of fellow lawmakers and Capitol conference rooms. Their committee assignments have been put on hold.

They’ll remain in political limbo until either Democratic Speaker of the House Calvin Say or one of his party’s dissident members musters the majority of the chamber’s 51 members needed to take power.

The Senate also is unsettled because a few seats could become vacant if senators take jobs in Abercrombie’s administration.