Big Island Sen. Whalen bows out of fall election
Big Island Republican Sen. Paul Whalen surprised everyone on the Senate floor yesterday by announcing that he would not run for re-election this fall.
Whalen, an attorney and 12-year legislative veteran, said in a brief speech that he wanted to stop the speculation by publicly saying he would not run for a legislative seat.
In an interview after the session, Whalen, 45, said, "I just feel that it is a time in my life to move on and do other things."
Whalen expected to have a contested re-election campaign because Rep. Josh Green (D, Keauhou-Honokohau) has raised more than $100,000 to contest Whalen's Milolii-to-Waimea Big Island seat. "Someone has to energetically stand up for West Hawaii, and that's me," Green, 38, said.
Asked if Green's impending candidacy hastened his decision not to run again, Whalen said, "Not at all."
Whalen's attendance record at the Legislature had been a concern, and other Republican senators had remarked that Whalen was frequently absent.
A tally done by Stephens Media for the Big Island newspaper West Hawaii Today noted that Whalen had one of the worst attendance scores in the Legislature. According to the January report, Whalen was absent for 26 percent of his Senate floor and committee votes in 2007. In 2006 he missed more than half of all votes.
Whalen said yesterday that he had considered not running for re-election four years ago. "I have done various things throughout my life, and this is just one chapter of it," said Whalen, a former deputy prosecutor and schoolteacher.
Whalen's departure has other Republican senators concerned. Sen. Sam Slom (Diamond Head-Hawaii Kai) said with the minority down to only four in the Senate, they could lose another seat in the fall elections.
"I asked him previously what his plans are, and he said he didn't know," Slom said. "The district should be a Republican's district, so I would hate to see us lose it."