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U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard endorsed her Democratic colleague U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa for governor Wednesday, saying Hanabusa has a “proven record of leadership.”
Gabbard said she already had decided to endorse Hanabusa before the Jan. 13 ballistic missile false alarm, but said incumbent Gov. David Ige’s performance during the alert was lacking.
“The failure of leadership that we saw throughout that entire incident further affirmed what I know, and what I trust in my call today,” Gabbard told reporters at a press conference on the state Capitol grounds Wednesday. “We need a strong, decisive, dynamic leader here in the governor’s office to be able to best serve and lead Hawaii.”
A Hawaii Emergency Management Agency worker mistakenly broadcast a missile threat alarm, sending it to cellphones statewide at 8:07 a.m. Jan. 13. It took the agency 38 minutes to issue an official cellphone notification canceling the alert, in part because state officials mistakenly believed they had to consult with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to issue a retraction.
Ige was told the alert was a false alarm two minutes after the warning message was sent. His office sent out a cancellation message 17 minutes after the warning alert, a delay that Ige said was caused in part because he did not know his Twitter password.
Gabbard said that no matter where Hanabusa has served, “she’s carried her values with her, always working with aloha, always fighting for what’s right, and what’s best for our state.”
“I’ve known and worked with Colleen for many years and have seen firsthand her love and commitment to serving the people of Hawaii,” Gabbard said.
Hanabusa, 66, has represented the 1st Congressional District for five years. She served 17 years in elected office including 12 years in the state Senate, where she became Hawaii’s first female state Senate president.
She has secured the support of an unusual number of prominent Hawaii political figures in the months leading up to the Democratic primary, including former Govs. George Ariyoshi and Ben Cayetano, and a variety of leaders in the state Legislature.
Glenna Wong, spokeswoman for the Ige campaign, had no immediate comment on the endorsement announcement.
Correction: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said, “I’ve known and worked with Colleen for many years and have seen firsthand her love and commitment to serving the people of Hawaii.” A previous version misquoted her as saying she “worked for” Hanabusa.
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