Past Hawaii governors also hit nomination roadblocks

Since statehood, no first-term governor has had more Cabinet nominees rejected than Gov. Josh Green.

But other governors in their first terms have seen their share of roughed-up nominees.

In March 1995, then-Gov. Ben Cayetano called a news conference to complain about a Senate committee asking tough and detailed questions of three of his Cabinet nominees. He accused then-Sen. Malama Solomon, who chaired the Senate Executive Appointments Committee, of expecting trade-offs from Cayetano for confirming his appointees.

RELATED STORY: Green’s Cabinet nominees face tough slog in Hawaii Senate

Solomon denied the allegations, threatened to sue Cayetano for slander and said she also was going to consider filing a complaint with the state Ethics Commission. In the end, all of Cayetano’s 16 Cabinet appointments were confirmed.

Three other governors — John Burns, George Ariyoshi and John Waihee — all had their initial nominees confirmed in their first terms.

Former Govs. Neil Abercrombie and Linda Lingle each had one nominee back out before a Senate committee hearing.

Green’s predecessor, Ige, had one nominee go down in his first term: Carleton Ching, an executive with development firm Castle & Cooke Inc. whom Ige appointed to head the Department of Land and Natural Resources.