With Republican Gov. Linda Lingle of Hawaii term-limited in 2010, Democrats have a good shot at picking up the Governor’s office next cycle. Who should run for the big job? And who will the Republicans nominate to defend the seat?
Democratic Sen. Dan Inouye will also be up for re-election in 2010, and would be unbeatable if he wanted another term. But Inouye will be 86 that year, and is unsurprisingly the subject of retirement rumors. If he calls it quits, Lingle is obviously the GOP’s best bet to make this a race, but there are several Democrats on the bench who could make strong candidates. Who should run?
Along with his age, he’s hinted at the past that he does not want to serve if his best buddy Ted Stevens isn’t there with him. And with Senator Stevens soon to take advantage of a free government housing program, even if he doesn’t come from behind and win his race, he’s not long for the Senate.
Just curious if she has any political aspirations. I saw some video of her campaigning in Hawaii for Obama and thought she sounded pretty good.
Or maybe Ed Case will give it a go. If Inouye quits, Rep. Mazie Hirono should run for his seat.
Would seem like an obvious choice for either seat.
I don’t know how damning the campaign finance stuff really was, but if Jeremy Harris decided to make a return to politics, I could see him as viable candidate for either seat as well.
That Ed Case will run for governor or (if it’s open) senator.
He has served longer in the House. He is a little old to be a freshman Senator (born 1938) and a haole but he is a strong progressive who wins big in his district. I think if he were to become a Senator he would be the first white dude to ever hold that position (Hawaii is different…)
He was just handed the gavel to the appropriations committee for the next congress. One of the most powerful seats. Maybe he’ll still retire, but it’s going to be less tempting to retire now.
Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona (R) has been running for two years already to replace his boss. He will be the GOP nominee. Aiona will be a strong candidate, but Hawaii has really returned to its solid Democratic roots over the past decade and he’s going to be hard pressed to match Lingle’s performance.
The Dem side is going to be a madhouse, state Senate Majority Leader Colleen Hanabusa will probably run, so will Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann I expect, however the resign-to-run law will probably make them think twice. If one of them doesn’t run, the other will win. If both don’t run, it’s anyone’s guess, and probably some other state legislators and city councilmen will jump in. I’ve heard chatter about Rep. Neil Abercrombie running, if he does it will clear the field. But I think that’s unlikely, he seems to like Congress.
I don’t think Inouye will retire, he strikes me as the die-in-office kind of guy, but if he is, he will try to pick his successor, and given what a tight grip he has over the Dem machine in Hawaii, he will probably get his way. Still I imagine we might see the same names run here, and I am confident we can beat Lingle for a Senate seat if it comes to that, as party-line voting is a lot more strict for federal races.
I can tell you with confidence though who will NEVER be elected to anything again in Hawaii: Ed Case. He burned all his bridges by challenging Akaka. He may run, but the establishment and the grassroots will combine to make sure he never wins anything again.
Mazie Hirono to run for one of the seats. Governor if Inouye runs again. I doubt he will so I think Senator is more likely. Candidates for the seat Hirono doesn’t take or for governor if Inoye and Hirono stay put would be Sen. Colleen Hanabusa and Rep. Neil Abercrombie. Two people that would run for Hirono’s seat if she runs for higher office and if not could run for statewide office could be the horrible Ed Case and awesome former Rep and current State Party Chair Brian Schatz (young, ran in the open seat race for Case’s seat in 06, ran Obama’s primary campaign)
Anyone not named Ed Case.
He’s still in good health and he just got the Appropriations chairmanship.
Didn’t a transgendered woman win a state assembly seat there a few years back? Or did she just run. I can’t remember. I’m putting my vote on her for the House, just to keep things interesting! lol
As the former Civil Defense director, he’s well respected for his experience in emergency situations – and the Big Island has had plenty – from hurricanes to volcanoes.
Yes, he originally ran as a Republican, but he’s disowned that party. He is a bit old – would be 70 in 2010.