On Politics
BY RICHARD BORRECA
Washington is watching
Hawaii gov’s race, tooHawaii's race for governor is important according to some ob- servers because it could play a role in deciding whether Democrats or Republicans control the U.S. Senate.
That may be an overstated concern.
Politicians speculate that with the Democrats holding control of the U.S. Senate by only one vote, nearly anything could tip the balance either for or against a continued Democratic majority.
That is important to Hawaii because when the Democrats took control of the Senate, Hawaii's Sen. Daniel K. Inouye resumed his chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee's Defense Subcommittee and the Indian Affairs Committee and the Communications Subcommittee.
Inouye's influence in Con-gress is substantial because of his seniority, but being in the majority makes his power all the more extensive.
There is always speculation, of course, that Inouye, 77, may decide not to run in 2004 or Hawaii's other senator, Dan Akaka, also 77, may bow out of his next race in 2006.
But if something happened to either senator and he was unable to finish his term, the governor would pick a successor. Here's where the governor's race becomes important to the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. If Linda Lingle wins the governorship in November, then a Republican would pick a new senator for Hawaii.
In 1990, Gov. John Waihee selected Akaka to fill the vacancy created by the death of Sen. Spark Matsunaga. Akaka then went on to win a special election to finish the term.
But the catch that is not always noted is that according to state law the person selected by the governor to fill the temporary appointment "shall be a registered member of the same political party as the senator causing the vacancy."
So Lingle could not appoint a Republican to fill a vacancy. Of course, an adroit selection could dash the hopes of Demo-crats like Waihee, who would like to cap a career in politics with a senatorial tour of duty.
But barring a health crisis, neither Akaka nor Inouye is likely to quit his post. The Washington Monument would crack and topple before Inouye, who came to Washington in 1959, would leave the Senate.
And the affable Akaka, who has had several operations to replace his knee and hip joints, serves until 2006 and also is not likely to retire. The result is that Hawaii's two Senate slots will remain occupied by Inouye and Akaka unless the unlikely happens and voters turn them out.
All this comes with one word of caution: If Lingle does win and a Senate vacancy occurs, nearly all of her closest advisers are or once were card-carrying Democrats.
Richard Borreca writes on politics every Sunday in the Star-Bulletin.
He can be reached at 525-8630 or by e-mail at rborreca@starbulletin.com.
