Posted on: Monday, October 7, 2002
Case to run for Congress
By William Cole
Advertiser Staff Writer
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With volunteers hastily tearing down the "for governor" part of campaign signs in front of his Kapi'olani Boulevard headquarters, Democrat Ed Case announced yesterday he is running in a special election to fill the unfinished term left vacant by the death of U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink.
The four-term state representative, who narrowly lost the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono, also said he would seek election to complete Mink's next term if she wins the general election posthumously. Her Republican opponent in the general election is state Rep. Bob McDermott.
"Nobody can ever replace Patsy Mink — she was truly a remarkable woman and she served the 2nd Congressional District well," said Case, who was flanked by his wife, Audrey, and sons James, 13, and David, 12. "But we must now all move on to provide the same level of representation ... and I believe I can do that job."
Case, 50, who represented Manoa in the state House, worked for three years in Washington, D.C., as a legislative assistant for Spark Matsunaga, the late congressman and senator. "I can and will hit the ground running the day that I walk into Washington, D.C.," he said, "and that's exactly what we need at this point."
As a tribute to Mink, Case said he will file his nominating papers today on Maui, birthplace of the late congresswoman.
Mink died Sept. 28 after battling viral pneumonia for more than a month. Her name cannot be removed from the Nov. 5 ballot.
State Chief Election Officer Dwayne Yoshina last Monday announced a special election would be held Nov. 30 in the 2nd District (rural O'ahu, Neighbor Islands) to elect a representative to serve the rest of Mink's term, which ends at noon on Jan. 3.
Attorney General Earl Anzai on Friday asked the state Supreme Court to decide whether that special election could be held at the same time as the general election, saving taxpayers $2 million.
If Mink wins the Nov. 5 general election against McDermott, there will be a vacancy and another special election would be held Jan. 4.
Case, who garnered 74,082 votes to Hirono's 76,685 in the primary, was born on the Big Island and has deep roots on the Neighbor Islands.
"I have just spent one entire year of my life crisscrossing the 2nd Congressional District, so I know this district, its people, its challenges and what it needs," said Case, a self-described moderate who gained support from independents and Republicans in his campaign for governor.
Jim Wang, a University of Hawai'i-Hilo political science professor emeritus, said for all of the advantages Case now seems to enjoy, he may not be the front-runner if former Gov. John Waihe'e enters the race. Waihe'e has been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate to fill the seat.
"If you are going to line up Ed Case and John Waihe'e, John Waihe'e was a former governor, so he probably has more name recognition," Wang said. "I think he would probably be a very hard person to beat."
State officials said the U.S. Constitution and state law require that a special election be held to determine who will finish out Mink's term, but Gov. Ben Cayetano noted there also are pressing national issues, including major appropriations bills and a possible vote on war with Iraq.
Case said Iraqi President Saddam Hussein would not hesitate to harm U.S. citizens, but he believes the United States would be better off proceeding under international law, rather than unilaterally without United Nations sanction.
Although he said he is not as liberal as Mink, Case said he agreed with her on protection of the environment and preservation of natural resources through expansion of national parks and recreational facilities.
