41 people seek votes Forty-one candidates, including the husband of the late U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink, are seeking to finish the remaining weeks of Mink's current term.
to finish Mink term
A political expert says John Mink
The candidates
may gain from voter sympathyBy Crystal Kua
ckua@starbulletin.comYesterday's candidate filing deadline passed with 13 Republicans, 12 Democrats, 12 nonpartisan candidates, two Libertarians and two Green Party candidates signing up to run in the Nov. 30 special election to fill the 2nd congressional district vacancy that was created when Mink died Sept. 28.
"It creates a crapshoot because it's winner take all," said Neal Milner, a political science professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. "It doesn't take as many votes to win now."
Milner said the large field gives the edge to John Mink, who could benefit from the sympathy vote for his wife and his desire not to seek the permanent seat.
Patsy Mink died a week after she won the Sept. 21 Democratic primary in her re-election bid.
Mink's name remains on the Nov. 5 general election. If she wins posthumously, a second special election would be held on Jan. 4 to fill the new term, which begins in January.
John Mink said in a statement yesterday that he has "reluctantly" decided to place his name on the ballot "so that Patsy's hard work for the people of the 2nd district does not come to a premature and abrupt end on Nov. 30."
If he is elected, he and his wife's staff would be able to fulfill her commitments, he said.
"As I have decided to place my name on the ballot principally to honor my late wife and her staff, I will not be campaigning for office," he said.
State Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, who decided not to run in the Nov. 30 special election but is interested in running in a January election, said: "I think it is the best thing for all parties, for the state and for Mrs. Mink's staff and for all of us regarding the fulfillment of her term. I have always advocated for Mr. Mink to fill out her term."
Gov. Ben Cayetano said, "I like for people to run for that seat who are really interested in serving beyond the 30 days."
State Rep. Ed Case, who lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary and is also running in the Nov. 30 special election, said of John Mink's candidacy, "With great respect for him and his entire family, the 2nd district needs more than caretaker representation."
Case said he plans to run if there is a January special election and that "the 2nd district will benefit greatly if its next full-term representative does service in the current term."
Milner said John Mink's candidacy does not bode well "for any other Democratic candidate because it forces a person like Ed Case in a sense to campaign against someone who represents Patsy Mink, and so it makes it very difficult for him."
"I'm not going to campaign against anybody. I'm going to be campaigning in terms of what I believe I have to offer to the people of the second congressional," Case said.
Milner said potential candidates for the permanent seat like Hanabusa, former city Councilman Mufi Hannemann and former Gov. John Waihee would benefit by John Mink running in the first special election but not the second.
"What's interesting here is what this does for the candidacy of someone like Colleen Hanabusa, who specifically stayed out of this race. I would think that she would be very happy to have John Mink win the (first) special election. If he doesn't run again, the slate is clean," he said. "You'd rather not run against someone who won that office, even if it's only for five days."
Republican Bob McDermott said he believes Mink and Case will split the Democratic vote, leaving McDermott with the chance of picking up the base of Republican votes. His priorities now, however, are to focus on winning against Mink in the Nov. 5 general election, he said. "We're going to surprise a lot people. I can just feel it."
Milner feels that McDermott and other Republicans will have a tough time gaining the seat.
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Special election candidates
Whitney T. Anderson (R)
John L. Baker (D)
Walter R. Barnes (R)
Paul Britos (D)
John S. (Mahina) Carroll (R)
Ed Case (D)
Brian G. Cole (D)
Dan A. Cole (N)
Chas Collins (D)
Joe Conner (R)
Lawrence (Lehr) Duquesne (L)
Doug Fairhurst (R)
Michael Gagne (D)
Carolyn Martinez Golojuch (R)
G. (Iimz) Goodwin (G)
Richard H. Haake (R)
S.J. Harlan (N)
Lillian Lai Lam Wang Hong (N)
Ron (Whodaguy) Jacobs (N)
Kekoa D. Kaapu (D)
Kimo Kaloi (R)
Jeff Mallan (L)
Robert M. Martin Jr. (N)
John Mayer (N)
Bob McDermott (R)
Mark McNett (N)
John F. Mink (D)
Solomon Naluai (D)
Nick Nikhilananda (G)
John Parker (N)
Joseph (Papa Joe) Payne (R)
John (Jack) Randall (N)
Mike Rethman (N)
Art P. Reyes (D)
Clifford P. Rhodes (R)
Bill Russell (N)
Bob Schieve (R)
Malama Solomon (D)
Steve Tataii (D)
Richard E. Wilson (N)
Timmy Yuen (R)
