Five Democrats Vie For Hawaii House Seat Vacancy
Gov. David Ige will decide who will represent Lanai, Molokai, Kahoolawe and parts of Maui.
The Democratic Party of Hawaii said Thursday it has received five completed applications from interested members who have met all qualifications to fill the vacant Hawaii House of Representatives District 13 seat.
It was previously held by Lynn DeCoite until her appointment to the Senate on June 17 to replace J. Kalani English, who stepped down for health reasons. The seat represents Haiku, Hana, Kaupo, Kipahulu, Nahiku, Paia, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe.
The party on Saturday will select the names of three of the applicants to send to Gov. David Ige for his consideration. He has until Aug. 16 to make his selection.
The candidates are:
- Claire Kamalu Carroll of Hana, Maui, a board member for the Hana Community Association, Project Hoomana, and Early Childhood Strategies Team 4, and the Soil and Water Conservation District of East Maui;
- Linda Clark of Kaupo, Maui, president of the Kaupo Community Association and has served as a volunteer club leader for 4H;
- Stacy Helm Crivello of Molokai, a former Maui County council member and community advocate;
- John-Bull English of Hana, an Army veteran, farmer, advocate for students with learning disabilities, and traditional Hawaiian hale and fish pond builder; and
- Barbara Haliniak of Molokai, a small business owner and current president of the Molokai Island Foundation.
鈥淭he candidates are remarkably diverse and represent a variety of backgrounds. I commend them for putting themselves forward to serve this unique district,鈥 Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, chair of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, said in a press release. 鈥淓ach would serve their constituents well given their community involvement and interest in agriculture, quality jobs, and water issues, all of which are top of mind in House District 13.鈥
