GOP lawmaker McDermott to run for Mink seat
Advertiser Staff
State Rep. Bob McDermott says he will run for the 2nd Congressional District next year.
Advertiser library photo • March 14, 1999
The seat, which covers the Neighbor Islands and Leeward and Windward Oahu, is held by Democrat Patsy Mink.
Bob McDermott scrapped his plan to run against U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie.
McDermott, R-32nd ('Aiea, Salt Lake, Aliamanu), had planned to run for Congress against Democrat Neil Abercrombie last year but decided against it, partly because of the difficulty of raising campaign money.
He said he is running because "Hawai'i deserves a representative who has the energy to be effective."
A former Marine and Gulf War veteran, McDermott pointed to his efforts to secure money for Radford High School and said he supports a strong military presence in Hawai'i.
"We need some balance in our congressional delegation," he said. "We have a Republican president and a Republican Congress, it just makes plan sense to have at least one member of the delegation on the other side ... who can work with the majority and get things done for Hawai'i."
