Congressional candidate Matt Matsunaga picked up the endorsement of the Hawaii State Teachers Association yesterday, while fellow Democratic candidate Colleen Hanabusa won the backing of two construction unions. HSTA backs Matsunaga
for Congress
Associated Press
Both are candidates in the Jan. 4 special election to replace the late U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink in Congress. Mink died Sept. 28 but was posthumously re-elected to her 2nd District seat representing rural Oahu and the neighbor islands.
There are 44 candidates in the race.
The 13,000-member teachers union said Matsunaga, son of the late U.S. Sen. Spark Matsunaga, already has several proposals to help Hawaii attract and retain much-needed qualified teachers.
"He has proven himself time and time again over the past 10 years as a friend and fighter for public education," HSTA President Karen Ginoza said in a news release.
Matsunaga also has received the endorsement of the 43,000-member Hawaii Government Employees Association.
Hanabusa, an incumbent state senator from Waianae, won the endorsements of the 800-member Iron Workers Union Local 625 and the 1,600-member Plumbers and Fitters Union Local 675.
She also has received endorsements from the Teamsters and the Masons and Roofers Union.
There are about 347,000 registered voters in the 2nd District.
