Job opening for lieutenant governor

Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui will resign effective Wednesday and vacate an office that helped launch some of Hawaii’s most successful politicians, but his job as second in command of the state government had no immediate takers Monday.

State law sets out a chain of succession for the lieutenant governor, and calls for the job to pass to the president of the state Senate, then to the speaker of the state House of Representatives and then to the state attorney general if the others decline the appointment.

Senate President Ron Kouchi praised Tsutsui on Monday but said he isn’t interested in the job of lieutenant governor himself.

House Speaker Scott Saiki declined to comment on the opening for a new lieutenant governor after the House floor session ended Monday afternoon, and state Attorney General Doug Chin also refused to say whether he wants the position.

“I am focused on wrapping up my work as attorney general and campaigning for the open congressional seat in urban Honolulu,” Chin said in his statement. “I’m not going to comment on opportunities that are not in front of me.”

If all of those political figures were to decline the job, it would then be offered to the state director of finance and then to a series of three other Cabinet members. It is unclear what would happen if none of them were willing or able to accept the job.

Tsutsui, 46, previously announced he would not run for re-election, and planned to return to Maui to spend more time with his family. He has three children, and said his oldest recently departed for college.

Tsutsui was Senate president from 2010 to 2012, and became lieutenant governor himself by succession after Brian Schatz resigned from that office to accept an appointment to the U.S. Senate. Tsutsui was then elected to a four-year term as lieutenant governor in 2014.

He said he opted to resign at the end of this month in large part because a private- sector job opened up with the Hawaii branch of the communications and public affairs firm of Strategies 360. Tsutsui said the job will not involve lobbying, at least not for the time being.

It is still early in the political season, with candidates for office able to begin filing their nomination papers Thursday, and “I just figured this is kind of a good time,” he said.

“I’m grateful and thankful,” Tsutsui said. “Most importantly, I’m just very appreciative for having this opportunity to serve for the last 15-1/2 years. It was an honor, and I just look forward to now spending some time back home.”

Tsutsui said he discussed his plan to resign with Gov. David Ige on Monday morning before issuing an announcement, and said he also called Saiki and Kouchi.

Kouchi said in his written statement that while he is pleased that Tsutsui will have more time to spend with his family, “I am professionally saddened because Shan’s resignation leaves a gaping hole in our current political fabric.”

Ige said in a written statement, “It is with a mixture of sadness and gratitude that I learned of Shan’s decision to step down from his position as lieutenant governor.”

Ige praised Tsutsui’s work on issues related to Aloha Stadium and the Farm to School Initiative, and “I also applaud Shan’s effort to support after-school programs in our public schools. I wish Shan and his family the very best always.”

While the lieutenant governor’s position carries little official authority or responsibility, it has been a critical steppingstone for some of Hawaii’s best-known politicians, including former Govs. George Ariyoshi, John Waihee and Ben Cayetano, and U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz.

Since Tsutsui publicly announced months ago that he did not plan to run for re-election, a crowded field of Democrats has formed to run this year to try to take his place.

That field includes state Sens. Josh Green (D, Naa­lehu-Kailua-Kona), Jill Tokuda (D, Kailua-Kaneohe) and Will Espero (D, Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point), as well as Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho, former Board of Education member Kim Coco Iwamoto and Hilo attorney Maile Luuwai.