Sen. Harimoto to undergo pancreatic cancer surgery

State Sen. Breene Harimoto (D, Pearl Harbor-Pearl City-Aiea) says he will undergo surgery soon after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last week.

The former City Councilman and Board of Education member said he started feeling sick about a month ago and wound up in the emergency room. Harimoto said doctors did not indicate at which stage the cancer is, but said he feels fortunate that surgery is an option at this point. He said recovery time depends on how the surgery goes.

“As difficult as pancreatic cancer is, I have full faith and trust in God that I will be healed,” said Harimoto, 61, Thursday7/23. “I really appreciate the prayers of everyone during this difficult time, and I’m fully confident that I will be OK and back at work.”

Harimoto said his office will remain open and his senior staff member will be in charge while he is recovering.

“I will be back at work as soon as I can,” said Hari-moto, a lifelong Pearl City resident. “I have great staff, and they’re handling all the issues of my constituents and business. We’re in touch whenever we need to be.”

After serving on the state Board of Education for eight years, Harimoto resigned in 2010 to run for the City Council District 8 seat vacated by Gary Okino, who could not run for re-election due to term limits. Harimoto ran unopposed and was elected to the Council in 2010 representing Aiea, Pearl City and Halawa.

Last year Harimoto announced he would forgo a Council re-election bid to run for the state Senate 16th District seat, which was held by then-state Sen. David Ige, who won the gubernatorial race.

In the state Senate he served as chairman of the Housing Committee and vice chairman of the Education Committee.

Harimoto said he appreciates the community’s support and is asking friends and family for their prayers.

“We’re kind of taking it one step at a time,” he said.

City Councilman Brandon Elefante, who worked as Harimoto’s legislative aide for nearly four years and ran for his boss’s open seat, said he continues to show his support and wants to “be there for him every step of the way.”

“When I first heard about the diagnosis, my heart literally sank,” Elefante said Thursday7/23. “I know it’s really tough for him during this difficult time. (But) he’ll get through this.”