Hawaii’s political landscape undergoing tectonic shift

Hawaii’s political glass ceiling is set so low it shatters at the slightest vibration.

The thing is, hardly anything ever vibrates.

So when U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka announced he would not run for another term, the rare opening shook the entire political landscape.

Both of Hawaii’s congressional races changed because of it and the entire field has moved.

While the candidate-filing deadline is not until next year and U.S. voters really aren’t expected to pay attention to the fall political season until after Labor Day 2012, the actors in next year’s drama are already learning their lines.

This week former Hono-lulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann jumped into the race for the rural Oahu and Neighbor islands 2nd Congressional District, left open by U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono’s declaration that she is running for Akaka’s Senate seat.

Hannemann, who is already working as the president and CEO of the Hawaii Hotel and Lodging Association, told HHLA members that he would stay on the job while campaigning.

About to follow Hannemann is former Kauai state Sen. Gary Hooser, who is now director of the state Office of Environmental Quality Control.

He is presently surveying supporters around the state, looking for enough money to start a solid campaign.

“I must know that the commitment is there from the community — both the financial commitment and the people power commitment,” Hooser said in an online article.

Already in the race are two fresh faces in Hawaii politics: Honolulu City Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard and Esther Kiaaina, chief advocate for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Gabbard comes from a family in the political spotlight, as her father served on the City Council before going for the state Senate, and her mother is a former elected member of the school board. Her father, Mike Gabbard, was also one of the leading opponents to same-sex marriage during the initial debates more than a decade ago. Tulsi Gabbard was a state representative when she volunteered to join her Hawaii Army National Guard company in Iraq. Upon her return she worked for Akaka in Washington and is now a captain in the National Guard.

Kiaaina is one of the reasons both former U.S. Rep. Ed Case and Sen. Akaka have looked good in Washington. She was chief of staff to Case, legislative director to Rep. Robert Underwood of Guam and Akaka’s legislative assistant.

Missing from the race is a Republican candidate.

Jonah Kaauwai, Hawaii GOP chairman, says so far no one has publicly announced. Without some major candidate, it is likely that CD-2 will wrap up in the primary.

Not so for CD-1, where the big brawl will likely be in the general election contest between U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and former U.S. Rep. Charles Djou.

That one is mostly the rubber match to decide who gets the 1st Congressional District. Hanabusa won last time; Djou won the special election before that.

While all these jobs are important, the real prize is down the road. If Hawaii’s senior U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye leaves office before the end of his term, a replacement will be picked by the governor. State law requires that the governor pick from three nominees submitted by the incumbent’s party — in this case, Inouye’s state Democratic Party.

If the two members of Congress are Democrats, it is almost guaranteed that they will both be on that short list.