Special elections’ It's a tale of two special elections.
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By Crystal Kua
ckua@starbulletin.comOn Nov. 30, residents of the neighbor islands and rural Oahu will go to the polls to elect a successor to fill the remainder of the late Patsy Mink's current term in Congress. Mink died Sept. 28 after battling viral pneumonia.
Because Mink posthumously won the general election, a second special election will be held Jan. 4 to fill the next two-year congressional term.
Rex Quidilla, Office of Elections spokesman, said both elections will be run the same way, and current voter rolls will be used for both elections.
But voters will notice changes.
One of the biggest differences is that about half the district residents will be voting at a different polling place.
"We will be consolidating precincts. We're sending notification cards telling them where they will be voting in the special election," Quidilla said. "There will be 91 active precincts, half of the normal number of precincts for the district."
Also, instead of depositing ballots in a counting machine, voters will be placing their ballots in a secure ballot box.
"We'll be gathering up all the ballots from the counties and having them flown to the state Capitol for counting," Quidilla said.
That is why the ballots will not be counted until the day after the election.
"We'll be counting all the ballots in Honolulu and then releasing it (results) centrally. It's for cost savings -- that's part of the reason, and it also simplifies the logistics," Quidilla said.
A total of 38 candidates filed to run in the Nov. 30 special election.
The front-runners so far appear to be John Mink, the late congresswoman's husband, and former state Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Ed Case, both filing as Democrats.
Mink said he wants to finish his wife's work and help her staff close her office.
Case said he can provide more than caretaker representation and that he would also keep Mink's staff at least for the current term. Case said that issues important to the district will taken up in an upcoming "lame duck" session of Congress.
Case, along with three others, also filed to run in the Jan. 4 special election yesterday, the first day to do that. He said he can provide continuous representation from Nov. 30 on.
"I know the 2nd Congressional District cold, and I know Congress cold and it's a natural fit, and I believe I can go up to Washington, D.C., and hit the ground running."
Several other Democrats are also looking at running.
State Sen. Colleen Hanabusa said she intends to file. Matt Matsunaga, who ran in an unsuccessful bid for lieutenant governor, said he is giving it serious consideration.
Others mentioned include former Gov. John Waihee, who did not return a phone call for comment.
Former City Councilman Mufi Hannemann said he is still considering running for Congress although he still would like to run for Honolulu mayor, too.
At least two Republicans could be in the race. Bob McDermott, who garnered 70, 000 votes against Patsy Mink in the general election, said he plans to file as early as next week, and he believes he is the right choice especially since Republicans hold a majority in the U.S. House.
"I am the candidate, it's perfectly logical that I continue the race. It makes sense."
State Sen. Bob Hogue said yesterday that he is considering a run but has not made a final decision. "I have honestly all my life thought that that would be the ultimate, to be able to represent people in the nation's capital."
