Lieutenant governor eyes Maui seat

Shan Tsutsui says it’s “pretty certain” he won’t seek another term as Hawaii’s lieutenant governor as he eyes a possible bid for Maui mayor.

“I think it’s probably time to turn the page and look for different challenges,” said Tsutsui, who has been largely sidelined within Gov. David Ige’s administration.

Tsutsui said that if he does run to succeed Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa, whose term ends at the end of 2018, he will likely step down early from his four-year term as lieutenant governor in order to focus on his campaign and not distract from the duties of his current office. If this is the case, the Senate president, who is currently Ron Kouchi (D, Kauai-Niihau), would be offered the lieutenant governor position, in accordance with the state Constitution.

Tsutsui’s plans will likely help populate the field of candidates vying for lieutenant governor in the 2018 election when Ige is expected to seek re-election. While the lieutenant governor serves as the assistant chief executive, becoming acting governor when the governor travels out of state, the elections for both posts are separate. Governors do not choose their running mates, who are chosen by voters in the primary.

Tsutsui said he didn’t have a firm timeline for leaving office if he does decide to run for mayor. The candidate filing deadline isn’t until June 5, 2018, though he would likely want to begin fundraising and campaigning months prior to that.

The Maui native became lieutenant governor under Gov. Neil Abercrombie at the end of 2012, following the death of U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye. Abercrombie tapped his then lieutenant governor, Brian Schatz, from a list of Democratic Party nominees to replace Inouye in Washington, D.C. At the time, Tsutsui was Senate president in the state Legislature, making him next in line to fill the lieutenant governor spot.

Tsutsui had initially planned to turn down the job and retain his powerful position in the Senate, but Abercrombie convinced him to take the job, promising him that he’d play a central role in his administration and be a part of policy decisions, Tsutsui has said in past interviews. But two years later Abercrombie lost the governorship to Ige in a major political upset. Tsu-tsui has since played a diminished role within the governor’s office.

He’s worked to support after-school programs for public school students, a farm-to-school initiative to encourage students to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and sports development.

The office of lieutenant governor can often serve as a springboard to higher political office, but it can also be mundane if the governor doesn’t empower the person serving in the position. The official duties include signing name change orders, certifying U.S. documents so they are recognized abroad and processing documents that transfer state lands between government departments. The lieutenant governor is also there to take over in case the governor dies or is in some way incapacitated.

Tsutsui is eligible to serve in the office for one more term, but he noted that would make him the longest-serving lieutenant governor in Hawaii history, with a total of 10 years.

“It is very doubtful that I will seek re-election for this seat,” he said.

Kouchi, who was chosen by his colleagues to lead the Senate in 2015, suggested it was too early to evaluate whether he might take over for Tsutsui if he were to step down. He said it would in part depend on timing.

“I certainly wouldn’t want to leave right now,” said Kouchi. The Legislature is in the midst of session, debating hundreds of bills, and Kouchi said his current focus is on “trying to deliver on Senate priorities.”

If the Senate president declines the lieutenant governor position in the event of a vacancy, the post then must be offered to the House speaker, who is currently Joe Souki (D, Waihee- Waiehu-Wailuku). If the House speaker were to decline the post, it would then be offered to, in the following order: the attorney general, the director of finance, the comptroller, the director of taxation, and the director of human resources development, according to information from the Legislative Reference Bureau.