Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa and former Mayors Charmaine Tavares and James "Kimo" Apana on Monday endorsed former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann in his bid to represent Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District.

"There’s no better candidate to represent the County of Maui in Congress than Mufi, who brings executive experience as a Mayor who has balanced a budget, worked closely with the private sector to stimulate the economy and knows firsthand the kind of federal support we need at the local level," Arakawa said at a news conference in Wailuku. 

Other major Democrats in the primary include Honolulu City Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard, former Office of Hawaiian Affairs chief advocate Esther Kiaaina, Hilo attorney Bob Marx and Honolulu attorney Rafael Del Castillo. The Republican primary includes business consultant Matthew DiGeronimo.