Whatever
Happened To...
Bornhorst gave up
politics for real estateQuestion: What ever happened to Marilyn Bornhorst?
Answer: The former Democratic Party chairwoman and longtime city councilwoman has been busy selling real estate and serving on two nonprofit organization boards.
"I do a really good job of getting people into homes," Bornhorst said. "It's like a continuation of the City Council."
As a councilwoman from 1974 to 1988, Bornhorst was interested in affordable housing for people and dealt with issues such as zoning.
"Doing real estate is doing the same thing on a retail basis, but I didn't have to vote on all those other issues," said the independent real estate broker.
As president of the board of directors of Self-Help Housing Corp. of Hawaii, she also helps low- and middle-income families get financing to build their own homes.
Bornhorst also serves on the board of Hawaii Community Services Council, a social service agency.
Bornhorst served for 13 1/2 years, or more than three terms, on the City Council, then resigned in 1988 to run for mayor against then-Mayor Frank Fasi.
After coming in second, she retired and later became a Realtor.
Bornhorst served as Democratic Party chairwoman from 1996 to 1998. She was selected by the Democratic Party's statewide Central Committee to fill the unexpired term of Richard Port, who resigned for health reasons. She did not seek re-election.
Bornhorst considered running for office for about eight to 10 years after retiring but would not do it now.
"Even if I did, the time has passed -- not many people remember who I was," she said. "If someone offered me the mayor's job, and I didn't have to run, I'd do that."
Bornhorst said she enjoys golfing (with a high handicap), and still goes body-boarding.
"I keep my board in my trunk, and when I'm in the neighborhood, I stop," she said.
Ever wonder what happened to a person, event or issue that has been in the news? We'll find out for you if you e-mail us at cityeditors@starbulletin.com, call us at 529-4747 or write 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana, Honolulu, HI 96813. "What Ever Happened to ..." runs Saturdays. This update was written by Nelson Daranciang.