Gov. Green Fills Hawaii House of Representatives Vacancy
UPDATE: Matthias Kusch will represent Hamakua, Kaumana and parts of Hilo on the Big Island until Nov. 5.
A retired Hawaii Fire Department battalion chief on Friday was appointed by Gov. Josh Green to be a state representative.
Matthias Kusch, a Democrat, will serve House District 1, which includes Hamakua and parts of Hilo on the Big Island.
The seat was held by Rep. Mark Nakashima, who died in July.
CORRECTION: Because Nakashima was unopposed in both the Aug. 10 primary and the Nov. 5 general election, Kusch will serve until Nov. 5. The governor will then have to choose someone to fill the full two-year term. An earlier version of this story said Kusch would serve the full term.
According to a press release from the Green administration, Kusch is a coffee and citrus farmer, affordable housing advocate, president of Hilo Bayfront Trails and a member of the Windward Planning Commission.
He also served as District 1 chair for the Democratic Party of Hawaii and is a member of the Labor, Women’s and Environmental Caucus.
Kusch was selected primarily for his experience as a firefighter and “the state鈥檚 need to have someone with that experience and voice” in the Legislature, according to the press release.
Kusch said he would work to uphold the values and “deep respect” that he said Nakashima brought to the district.
He was among three candidates sent to the governor by the state Democratic Party. Former state Rep. and state Sen. Dwight Takamine was also on the short list submitted to Green.
The governor said he has extended 鈥渁 special appreciation” to Takamine for his “extensive history of service and his willingness to serve once more. We are considering asking him to serve in a different and perhaps more fitting role.”
