U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa will run for re-election next year in urban Honolulu’s 1st Congressional District, bypassing an opportunity in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.
Hanabusa, D-Hawaii, cited the importance of stability in the state’s congressional delegation and of preserving Hawaii’s interests in Washington, D.C., as factors that influenced her choice. Former Congressman Charles Djou, who lost to Hanabusa last November, will seek the Republican nomination in the hopes of a rematch.
"The challenges that confront our nation are many, and the risks to Hawaii are great," Hanabusa said in a statement. "At this moment, stability in Hawaii’s congressional representation is critical. I believe that a change in both Hawaii seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, along with a seat in the U.S. Senate, could seriously undermine our efforts to preserve such cherished programs as the East-West Center and continue vital funding for the military in Hawaii, while threatening other federal support that has helped keep our economy moving in these difficult times.
"I hope that my continued service in Congress will support that stability, and that the relationships I have developed will assist our state and our residents."
Hanabusa’s decision narrows the field in the Democratic primary to replace U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, who will not seek another term next year. U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and former congressman Ed Case have entered the primary.
Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann has looked at both a Senate campaign and at the Democratic primary to replace Hirono in the 2nd Congressional District, which covers rural Oahu and the neighbor islands.
Former Gov. Linda Lingle is thinking about a potential Republican Senate campaign.
Many establishment and progressive Democrats were concerned that Case, a moderate, would benefit if Hanabusa ran and split the traditional Democratic vote with Hirono in the primary.
The Democratic Party of Hawaii has promised to stay neutral, but Hirono is expected to attract significant support from establishment, progressive and labor interests that drive the party.
Many Democratic strategists believe that while Hanabusa would be favored in a rematch with Djou given her victory last November, the party’s historical dominance and an expected boost from having Hawaii-born President Barack Obama on the ballot, she should not take her first re-election campaign for granted.
Djou, a major in the U.S. Army Reserve, will not actively campaign until late March when he returns from deployment to Afghanistan. His first deployment after a decade as a reservist might make his military service a more compelling part of his life story than it was last year.
Djou has described himself as a centrist and an independent and has said Hanabusa is more likely to vote along partisan lines. He will make job creation and reducing the federal deficit central components of his campaign, a potentially appealing message for voters, particularly if economic growth remains stagnant and deficit reduction plans by Obama and Congress prove unpopular.
