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Former Honolulu City Council Chair Ikaika Anderson’s deputy chief of staff was officially sworn in to take over his seat on Wednesday afternoon.

Alan Texeira will now represent District 3, which includes Kaneohe, Kailua and Waimanalo. He will serve out the remaining months of Anderson’s term, which concludes on Jan. 2.

Texeira is a lifelong resident of the district and a graduate of Kailua High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Hawaii and has served as Anderson’s deputy chief of staff since 2016, according to

Texeira ran for the seat in the August primary but came in third place behind Esther Kiaaina and Greg Thielen.

The new councilman was installed despite pushback from Councilwomen Heidi Tsuneyoshi and Kym Pine who both called for a more open appointment process. When Anderson announced his resignation earlier this month, he recommended that his seat be filled by one of his staff members. A resolution to that effect was almost immediately introduced and put on a meeting agenda.

Tsuneyoshi said that gave no time for other council members to suggest alternate appointees. Last week, she filed two ethics complaints about Anderson’s departure, one of which focused on the process of replacing him. She also proposed a floor draft amendment to appoint Kalani Kalima, the primary election’s fourth-place finisher, in the seat. However, it was voted down at Wednesday’s meeting.

Also on Wednesday, council members voted Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi to be chair of the council. In response to Tsuneyoshi’s concerns, Kobayashi said that it was essential that the council fill Anderson’s vacancy quickly so that the body can focus on the immediate needs of the public.

“We are a council that should be working together and not bickering and filing ethics violations against each other,” she said. “Let’s be one and solve the problems of our community, and there are many.”