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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Wednesday, July 16, 2003

Challenge to Mink special election denied

Advertiser Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — The House yesterday rejected a challenge by Democrat Steve Tataii to the January special election victory of Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawai'i.

Tataii said that state election officials should have disqualified Rep. Patsy Mink, D-Hawai'i, from the September primary ballot because of poor health. Mink was in the hospital with viral pneumonia when she beat Tataii with 72.6 percent of the vote to Tataii's 15.3 percent.

Mink died two days after the deadline to replace her on the November general election ballot, where she was re-elected posthumously.

Tataii later unsuccessfully ran in the November special election to serve out the remainder of Mink's term in the last Congress and the January special election to fill her term in the new Congress. Case won both special elections.

The House Administration Committee ruled that the Federal Contested Elections Act does not cover challenges based on primary elections. The House agreed by unanimous consent yesterday to accept the committee's findings.

Tataii, who had also filed unsuccessful election challenges with the state Supreme Court and the Supreme Court, said he is disappointed.

After losing campaigns for the state Legislature, Honolulu City Council and Congress, Tataii said he is financially and emotionally drained and will likely never run for public office again.

"This was the end of the line for me," he said.