Honolulu prosecutor Peter Carlisle said yesterday he will not run for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Rep. Ed Case.

Carlisle said in March that he was considering a campaign but would not say whether he would run as a Republican or Democrat, although it was known at the time he was being courted by the GOP.

Carlisle later pulled papers — a step that comes before official entry into a race — with the state elections office for the Republican primary in Case's 2nd Congressional District, which covers Central, Leeward and Windward O'ahu and the Neighbor Islands.

"When I ran for a third term as Honolulu prosecutor I feel I committed to serving that term," Carlisle said yesterday. "I need to finish my tour of duty as prosecutor, that's the bottom line."

State Sen. Bob Hogue announced his campaign in the Republican primary last Saturday and former state Rep. Quentin Kawananakoa is scheduled to launch his campaign tomorrow at an event in Kailua.

Sam Aiona, the state GOP chairman, said Carlisle would have been an excellent candidate for the party. "We will be there to support him if he decides to run in the future," Aiona said.

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com.