COURTESY PHOTO
Jerry Chang: The Hilo Democrat has announced he will not seek re-election to his state House seat.
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State Rep. Jerry Chang, a Democrat who has represented Hilo in the House for two decades, announced Friday that he will not seek re-election.
New political boundaries drawn after the census placed Chang into the same district as state Rep. Mark Nakashima, a fellow Democrat.
"I want to thank the voters for their support and for the opportunity to represent them over the past 24 years," Chang said in a statement. "It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the people of the Big Island and the state of Hawaii. I have always been humbled by their trust in me to be their voice at the Legislature. Together, with the Hawaii island delegation, I am proud of the work that we have accomplished for the benefit of the people."
Chang, an ally of House Speaker Calvin Say, is chairman of the House Water, Land and Ocean Resources Committee. He did not rule out another run for public office in the future.
There remain four pairs of incumbent legislators who were placed in the same districts because of political reapportionment and would run against each other this fall.
They are Brian Taniguchi and Carol Fukunaga in the Manoa-Makiki Senate district, Pono Chong and Jessica Wooley in the Kaneohe-Ahuimanu House district, K. Mark Takai and Heather Giugni in the Aiea House district, and Scott Saiki and Scott Nishimoto in the McCully-Moiliili House district.
Tuesday is the last day that candidates for the 2012 Hawaii elections may file nomination papers. The primary election is Aug. 11, and the general election is Nov. 6.