UPDATE: Special Election Maybe Not So Special
Charles Djou is smelling victory in the winner-take-all for the 1st Congressional District. But it may be short-lived.
Recall Hawaii’s special election of 1986. Democrat Neil Abercrombie won the race to replace Democrat Cec Heftel in Congress, who resigned to run for governor (and lost).
But Abercrombie’s term was only for three and a half months. He lost the primary that year to Mufi Hannemann, and Hannemann lost the general to Republican Pat Saiki.
Should Djou prevail over Democrats Ed Case and Colleen Hanabusa in the May 22 special election, as polls now suggest, his will serve in Congress from May 24 until early January 2011 — about seven months (including an August recess).
Who’s looking ahead to September? Colleen Hanabusa has already pulled papers to run in the primary along with two other Democrats. Two Republicans and a nonpartisan candidate have pulled papers, too. Djou and Case? Not yet.
Jump into the debate on the Hawaii discussion page.
