Brandon Elefante, who won the Honolulu City Council District 8 seat outright in September, will be allowed to step into the vacant seat early rather than wait until January. 

Councilman Breene Harimoto, who opted against reelection to run for the state Senate’s 16th District (Pearl City – Aiea) seat, will take that seat Wednesday. His resignation takes effect 6 p.m. Tuesday, according to a memorandum he sent to Council Chairman Ernie Martin and other colleagues.

Elefante won the District 8 race outright in the primary by collecting more than 50 percent of the votes cast against three other candidates.

A resolution introduced by Martin would, if approved by the remaining eight Council members at its meeting on Nov. 12, allow Elefante to be sworn in that day.

Martin told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the move is similar to that made two years ago when Joey Manahan was allowed to take the District 7 seat in November after then-Councilman Romy Cachola resigned to take a House seat.

Elefante’s situation represents an even more obvious move since he knows the district and what the job entails, having served as Harimoto’s aide in recent years, Martin said.

Council members elected Tuesday will take their seats in January as spelled out in the City Charter.

Harimoto, a Democrat, ran unopposed for the Senate seat, which had been held for many years by David Ige, who is running for governor.