Galuteria decides against running for U.S. House

At least one prominent Democrat has opted out of the race for the urban Honolulu congressional district now that Colleen Hanabusa has confirmed she is running.

State Sen. Brickwood Galuteria (D, Kakaako-Mc- Cully-Waikiki) said he had been considering running for the U.S. House seat, and on May 24 took out nomination papers for the race. Galuteria said he was traveling to the mainland last week for his granddaughter’s high school graduation, and he wanted to be ready to enter the race in the event that Hanabusa decided not to run.

Since then Galuteria said he spoke with Hanabusa at length on the telephone, learned that she is running and promised to support her.

“I know that she’ll be a good representative not only for Hawaii, but for the Native Hawaiians,” he said. “She’s been a champion for the Native Hawaiians for a long time.”

Although she has not formally announced that she will run, Hanabusa said Saturday she was circulating her nominating papers at the Hawaii Democratic Party State Convention in Waikiki, and “I’ve gotten great support.” She said she plans to file her nominating papers and officially launch her campaign this week.

Hanabusa, 65, held the urban Honolulu House seat from 2011 to 2015 and made an unsuccessful run for the U.S. Senate in 2014.

U.S. Rep. Mark Takai announced earlier this month he would not seek re-election to the urban Honolulu seat because he needs to concentrate on his health. Takai was first elected to Congress in 2014 and has been undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer. He recently learned the cancer had spread.

Takai on Sunday offered an endorsement of Hana- busa as his replacement. He said in a statement, “I intend to do all I can to elect a progressive champion to represent Hawaii in Congress, someone like Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, who can deliver resources and results for Hawaii.”

Galuteria said he is also a Hanabusa fan.

“I’ve always admired what Colleen has done,” Galuteria said. “I’m supporting Colleen all the way, 100 percent. Make that 120 percent.”

Former Board of Education member and state Rep. Leinaala Ahu Isa, now an Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee, said she intends to file nomination papers for the U.S. House race in urban Honolulu later this week.

Observers have speculated that Republican Charles Djou might also enter the race. Djou served briefly in that same urban House seat after winning a special election in 2010.

Djou said in a written statement Monday, “I have not yet decided on what I’m going to do this year, and I am still talking things over with my family and supporters.”

The filing deadline for candidates is June 7.

Hanabusa also serves as chairwoman of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, and she will have to juggle that responsibility and her campaign obligations. Hanabusa said Saturday she has checked with the city and learned that there is no requirement that she immediately step down from that position.

“A lot of this is going to really depend on who’s in the race and what is going to be required in terms of time,” she said.

Her current term on the HART board will be finished at the end of June, and Hanabusa said she is committed to completing tasks such as changing the governance structure for rail to increase board oversight of the project.

She also wants to finish work on the budget for the coming year, and participate in a “critical meeting” on June 8 when the HART staff will present the possible alternatives for the rail project within the available funding.