Posted on: Tuesday, December 10, 2002

Two endorsed in Congress election

Advertiser Staff and News Services

The Hawaii State Teachers Association yesterday endorsed Matt Matsunaga in the Jan. 4 special election for the 2nd Congressional District race, while Colleen Hanabusa won the backing of two construction unions.

Matsunaga, a former state senator, also has the endorsement of the 43,000-member Hawai'i Government Employees Association.

Hanabusa, state senator from Wai'anae, won the endorsements of the 800-member Iron Workers Union Local 625 and the 1,600-member Plumbers and Fitters Union Local 675.

She also has received endorsements from the Teamsters and the Masons and Roofers Union.

Matsunaga and Hanabusa are both Democrats.

There are 44 candidates running in a special election to be held Jan. 4 to fill the late Patsy Mink's seat in the 108th Congress.

Mink, who had served Hawai'i in the U.S. House for 24 years, died of viral pneumonia Sept. 28, two days too late to have her name removed from the general election ballot. Voters re-elected her posthumously Nov. 5, triggering the special election.