Some West Oahu Democrats worry another game of insider chairs is developing in the selection of a new state senator to replace Maile Shimabukuro in District 22 (Ko Olina, Nanakuli, Maili, Waianae, Makaha, Makua) .
Shimabukuro resigned at the end of the 2024 session, saying he would not finish his term that ended in November to spend more time with family and friends and do volunteer work.
She endorsed state Rep. Cedric Gates, who is fighting former state Rep. Stacelynn Eli in the Aug. 10 Democratic primary, to succeed her.
Critics see it as a power play by Shimabukuro and party leaders to get Gov. Josh Green to appoint Gates to finish his term before the election, giving him the advantage of running as a sitting senator.
Such an anointing would require Gates to resign his House seat, potentially giving the party and Green the opportunity to name a preferred successor among Democrats seeking the seat: Cross Makani Crabbe, Desire De Soto, Philip Ganaban and Ranson Soares.
District Democrats meet Wednesday at 7 pm at the Nanakuli Public Library to select three candidates to finish Shimabukuro’s term. The recommendations will be reviewed by the state and Oahu Democratic chairs before being sent Friday to Green, who has 60 days to make a decision but rarely takes that long.
One district Democrat raising concerns is Alex Santiago, a former state legislator and Democratic Party chairman who sees no point in Shimabukuro skipping his remaining term except to give Gates an unfair advantage.
“She was quitting to spend more time with her family and do volunteer work,” he said. “Now that that session is over, there’s no reason she couldn’t do it and still finish her term. Meanwhile, our part-time legislators do very little official work.”
Santiago said that he does not support any candidate in the elections to the Senate and the House of Representatives and that he only seeks equal conditions.
“I just want the community to decide without favoritism being given to any candidate,” he stated. “Appointing any of the candidates now running for the position will give that person a huge unfair advantage.”
If Gates ascends before the election, he will be the latest in a recent series of appointments to legislative vacancies that are being passed around among insiders.
In November, Green tapped state Rep. Troy Hashimoto to fill a vacancy in the Maui Senate. Hashimoto is running unopposed for reelection after receiving fundraising support from Senate leaders like Ways and Means Chairman Donovan Dela Cruz.
When the governor tapped state Rep. John Mizuno to become his homeless coordinator in January, he tapped Mizuno’s wife, May, for the House seat, giving the couple a financial windfall as well as the continuation of his political dynasty.
Green said then that the other two candidates put forward by the Democratic Party were good people but were not prepared to represent the district, a scenario that could repeat itself in West Oahu if party leaders try to gift-wrap Shimabukuro’s Senate seat for Gates.
A private clubhouse that never gets fresh air soon starts to stink.
Contact David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com.
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