Special election set for rest of Mink's term
By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau
The state may spend as much as $4 million for two special elections to fill the late U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink's seat: one to cover the remaining five weeks of Mink's term and a second in January if she wins the general election.
The late U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink will lie in state in the Capitol atrium starting at 4 p.m. Thursday. A public service for Mink will be held at the atrium at 10 a.m. Friday. The service will be followed by a private burial at Punchbowl cemetery.
State Chief Election Officer Dwayne Yoshina yesterday announced a special election will be held Nov. 30 in the 2nd Congressional District to elect a representative to serve the rest of Mink's term, which ends at noon on Jan. 3.
Service at State Capitol
If Mink wins the Nov. 5 general election, there will be a vacancy and another special election will be held Jan. 4, Yoshina said.
Mink, 74, died Saturday after a battling viral pneumonia for more than a month. Her name cannot be removed from the Nov. 5 ballot and state Democratic leaders are asking Mink's constituents to vote for her as a tribute but also to force a special election.
Office of Elections spokesman Rex Quidilla said each special election would cost approximately $2 million. Yoshina said he has asked Gov. Ben Cayetano for the money and that Cayetano's office is reviewing the request.
Nonpartisan candidates and candidates from all qualified political parties may participate in the Nov. 30 winner-take-all special election. Candidates may file nomination papers until Oct. 15, and voter registration for the special election will close on Nov. 1.
Republican Bob McDermott, who faces the late congresswoman in the general election, said he hasn't thought about entering the race for the unexpired term. The district, which consists of rural O'ahu and the Neighbor Islands, is overwhelmingly Democratic and McDermott has had only lukewarm support from his party.
"Right now, I'm focused on this (general) election," he said.
Among the potential Democratic candidates to fill the unexpired term are Ed Case, who narrowly lost the gubernatorial primary, and former Gov. John Waihe'e. The pool of potential candidates from both parties would likely expand if there is a January election and could include any number of unsuccessful candidates in the general election.
Attorney General Earl Anzai said state law requires that congressional vacancies be filled quickly by special election. State law requires the election officer to issue a proclamation setting a special election date for a U.S. representative no later than 60 days before the special election.
Republican state Sen. Sam Slom denounced the first special election, saying the expenditure is unwarranted and not required.
"We're always crying poormouth here that we don't have any money," he said. "I think that $4 million or $2 million would go a long way to provide textbooks for our kids or other things in the schools."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
