Former judge says Harris must quit as mayor

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser City Hall Writer

Former state District Judge Russell Blair, who left the bench on Friday, says the state constitution requires Mayor Jeremy Harris to leave office now to run for governor next year.

Harris has announced he is running to succeed Gov. Ben Cayetano, but has said he plans to step down when he files his nomination papers for the governor's race. The deadline is July.

But Blair, speaking as a private citizen, yesterday said the constitution requires that officeholders give up their positions to run for other state posts when they become candidates, and Harris announced his candidacy in April.

Harris dismissed Blair's argument as politics on behalf of his potential opponent, Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono. The mayor also said Blair's remarks are "another example of the old-boy network" trying to undermine his campaign.

"He's been a longtime friend of Mazie's," Harris said. "I would ask why he's waited 23 years (since the resign-to-run amendment was adopted) to raise this issue."

Blair, who decided not to seek reappointment as a judge, once was a leading Democrat in the Legislature and also served as executive director of the state Office of Consumer Protection. He said he's known Hirono for a long time, but didn't discuss his views with her and has no personal stake in the governor's race.

Blair said he isn't backing anyone in the governor's race. "It's simply our constitution which needs to be upheld," he said.

State Deputy Attorney General Russell Suzuki said the office has said that a candidate does need to resign but hasn't tackled Blair's question directly. "We haven't actually addressed the issue specifically as to when a person would have to resign," he said.

Harris said it's clear to him that under the constitution, a person would resign when they officially filed candidacy papers. "You have to resign when you file your nomination papers. That's what I have pledged to do," Harris said.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.