Sen. Gary Hooser resigns to run for lt. gov

State Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser has resigned to seek the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.

Hooser had planned to file for the race after resigning Friday.

But his campaign says documents that must first be filed with the state Campaign Spending Commission couldn’t be processed because it was a furlough Friday. The filing is now set for Monday.

Hooser has served the 7th District of Kauai and Niihau for eight years.

He says he wants to be a strong voice for the underserved, and intends to fight to preserve rural Hawaii.

Hooser’s opponents in the Democratic primary are former state party chairman Brian Schatz, Reps. Lyla Berg and Jon Riki Karamatsu, and Sens. Robert Bunda and Norman Sakamoto.