Posted on: Wednesday, February 20, 2002

Lingle resigns post at Republican Party

Associated Press

Linda Lingle stepped down yesterday as head of the Hawai'i Republican Party to focus on her campaign for governor.

Micah Kane will replace Lingle as party chairman while remaining the GOP executive director.

"We should be very proud of what we have accomplished together over the past three years," Lingle said. "We have built a real party, a party that has made a difference, a party that has enough elected officials, supporters and voters to change Hawai'i for the better."

Lingle took over as state Republican chairwoman in 1999 and was re-elected to the post at the state GOP convention last year.

The former Maui mayor made an unsuccessful bid for the state's highest office in 1998, narrowly losing to incumbent Gov. Ben Cayetano.

Kane is the former political action committee director for the Building Trades Council. He worked on Lingle's 1998 gubernatorial campaign and was hired as executive director after she became party chairwoman.

"I know Micah will continue building a party that represents all the people of Hawai'i," Lingle said.