Wednesday, June 17, 1998
What ever happened to former Republican state Sen. Rick Reed, who often criticized Big Island rancher Larry Mehau? Reed happy to be
a private citizenReed now sells real estate and automobiles in Washington state, near his parents' home in Snohomish.
Reed, whose eight-year political career was embroiled in controversies about organized crime and same-sex marriage, kept his word when he decided in 1994 to retire from politics and return to the Northwest.
Reed was reached June 10 at his job at Gaopin Realty in Washington, but he declined to discuss his life -- past or present.
"Thanks, anyway. I'm not interested," Reed said. "I'm delighted in being a private citizen."
Lahaina News Internet director Angus McKelvey, who worked as Reed's chief legislative clerk from 1991-1994, said Reed was demoralized by his unsuccessful congressional campaign in 1992 against U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, even though he had come closer to defeating Inouye than anyone else.
Reed ran an advertisement that featured the voice of Lenore Kwock, Inouye's former hairstylist, who said in the ad that she was pressured to have sex with Inouye in the mid-1970s. Inouye has vehemently denied the charge.
"He (Reed) took it as basically everybody hated him, and he pretty much withdrew into a shell at the last session and became a nonentity," McKelvey said. "Obviously, he didn't file for re-election, and took off after it was over.
"That's the story."
Pat Omandam, Star-Bulletin
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