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Hawaii Army National Guard Maj. Earl Tsuneyoshi announced his candidacy on Thursday for the Honolulu City Council district covering Waikele, Mililani and parts of Ewa Beach.

Tsuneyoshi said he is running to address crime, strengthen Kapolei, enhance the parks and recreation department and bring accountability and fiscal responsibility to the city. He is running to succeed Ron Menor, who is term-limited.

Tsuneyoshi was born in Honolulu, graduated from West Point and served in the Army including deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a news release. He continues to serve in the Hawaii Army National Guard and has briefed the state senate and house on the state’s COVID-19 response framework. Currently, he is overseeing and coordinating the daily operations of the Hawaii National Guard Joint Task Force across the state.

“To move Hawaii forward and in the right direction we don’t need politicians in leadership, we need leadership in politicians,” he said in a statement. “I am a proven leader that will strive to make informed decisions and take decisive action to improve the quality of life in our community.”

Military regulations prevent Earl from personally campaigning while activated with the Hawaii Army National Guard, his campaign said in the news release.

Tsuneyoshi has been married to his wife Candyce Tsuneyoshi for seven years and they have a five-year-old son named Kenzo. He is the brother in law of Councilwoman Heidi Tsuneyoshi.

Comedian Augie Tulba and former state Sen. Will Espero are also running for the District 9 council seat.