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Council openings
draw veteran politicians
A longtime city planner and
Ige to seek re-election By Gordon Y.K. Pang
two legislators have said they'll
join the race to replace Donna
Kim and Mufi Hannemann
Star-BulletinA state representative, a former state senator and a veteran city planner are among the first to show interest in the seats of outgoing Honolulu Council members Donna Mercado Kim and Mufi Hannemann.
Hannemann and Kim were to resign their Council seats today to run for other offices. Hannemann is challenging Mayor Jeremy Harris. Kim is running for a state Senate seat.
State Rep. Romy Cachola (D, Kalihi Kai-Sand Island) and former state Sen. Dennis Nakasato have indicated they intend to seek Kim's seat, while Gary Okino said he wants to take Hannemann's place.
The 7th Council District represented by Kim encompasses the area from Kalihi to Halawa, including Moanalua and Salt Lake. Hannemann's 8th Council District runs from Halawa to Waipahu, including all of Aiea and Pearl City.
Council Chairman Jon Yoshimura and City Clerk Genny Wong have established Aug. 7 as the deadline for Council candidates to file nomination papers for special elections to take place Sept. 23, the same day as the primary election.
Winners could take their places on the Council by mid-October, following a stipulated challenge period, Wong said.
Cachola, 62, has been in the House since 1984. Even though he represents the Kalihi Kai and Kapalama regions, Cachola said he also represented the Foster Village and Aliamanu neighborhoods before reapportionment in 1992 and lived in Salt Lake for more than 10 years.
Nakasato, 53, like Cachola, was affected by the 1992 reapportionment and wound up representing a Waipahu district far from his home base of Kalihi Valley. He served in the House for six years before winning Senate races in 1986 and 1990. In the Senate, he chaired the Tourism Committee.
So far, Okino is the lone announced candidate for Hannemann's vacated seat. A city planner for more than three decades, Okino said his biggest strength is his knowledge of the way city government works. That experience also has landed him the endorsement of nearly all remaining Council members.
Requirements for filing as a candidate for a special election are less stringent than those for a normal election, Wong said. A special election candidate for Council can file with a $25 fee and no signatures.
During a normal Council election, a filing must include a $250 fee and the signatures of 15 registered voters within the district. The terms of office for the winners would run through the end of 2002.
Harris, like Hannemann, was expected to file nomination papers today. Former Mayor Frank Fasi filed last week.
City & County of Honolulu
