HI-GOV: Hanabusa Announces

[Vega]

She's in.

[BuckeyeNut]

I assume she'll spank Ige. The interesting question will be who replaces her in the House.

[Heisenberg]

Are competitive primaries common in Hawaii?

Somewhat, from what I understand, since all the action is in the Democratic Primary. Plus, Ige is unpopular from what I've been hearing.

[NewYorkExpress]

You'd think she'd primary Hirono instead, given her health issues...try to force her out of the race.

[Vega]

I assume she'll spank Ige. The interesting question will be who replaces her in the House.

Ige is most certainly starting out at a severe disadvantage, but if he runs his campaign right, there is a lot to attack Hanabusa on in terms of ethics, abandoning her House seat twice when Hawaii needs Congressional seniority for personal political gain, etc. Ige has been a fairly do-nothing Governor, but ethically he's stayed above board.

[_]

Ige is now dead.

[Vega]

Ige is, for what it's worth, in a lot better of a position than Abercrombie was when Ige beat him in 2014.

[Meatball Ron]

Hanabusa is the worst.

Not sure why people think she'll defeat him so easily. It'll be competitive, for sure, but she lost to Schatz in 2010 after he was appointed by an unpopular Governor despite having the endorsement of the legendary Sen Inoyue, so she's certainly not infallible. While I don't know too much about Hawaii politics, one would think voters in Hawaii would start to see through Hanabusa's opportunistic tendencies. And Vega raises a good point about seniority.

[Kingpoleon]

I'd prefer Mufi Hanneman or Ed Case.

[Holmes]

#TeamHanabUSA

[Jeppe]

Hanabusa is the worst.

Not sure why people think she'll defeat him so easily. It'll be competitive, for sure, but she lost to Schatz in 2010 after he was appointed by an unpopular Governor despite having the endorsement of the legendary Sen Inoyue, so she's certainly not infallible. While I don't know too much about Hawaii politics, one would think voters in Hawaii would start to see through Hanabusa's opportunistic tendencies. And Vega raises a good point about seniority.

Obama endorsed Schatz in 2010 over Hanabusa. A severe tropical storm lowered turnout in a lot of the Asian-American heavy precincts in Hawaii. Even if Schatz was appointed, he was still an incumbent, and if I recall correctly, no incumbent Senators has ever been defeated in a re-election campaign before in Hawaii.

[Alabama_Indy10]

#ClimbingColleen

[Holmes]

#ClimbingColleen

Worked well for Maggie, who'll be VP come 2021.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

I'd prefer Mufi Hanneman or Ed Case.

Isn't Mufi infamously evil?

[Beet]

Hawaii are just the same old faces over and over. Beth Fukumoto!

[Coldstream]

I'd prefer Mufi Hanneman or Ed Case.

Isn't Hanneman an independent now/still? Can he even run in the Democratic Primary?

[KingSweden]

Ah, Kremlinology Hawaii style

[Maxwell]

Hawaii are just the same old faces over and over. Beth Fukumoto!

I mean Fukumoto has always been pretty liberal, even when she was a Republican. I'd like her to run either for House or for Governor.

[Jeppe]

Hawaii are just the same old faces over and over. Beth Fukumoto!

I mean Fukumoto has always been pretty liberal, even when she was a Republican. I'd like her to run either for House or for Governor.

I believe Fukumoto's state house district is in Hanabusa's district, so she could feasibly run for Hanabusa's seat.

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

I like fukomoto, I hope she runs for Hanabusa's open seat.

[smoltchanov]

I like fukomoto, I hope she runs for Hanabusa's open seat.

I like her too. But isn't it too early - she switched less then half a year ago? And there can be literally dozen other Democratic contenders, most - with much bigger experience in the party.

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

I like fukomoto, I hope she runs for Hanabusa's open seat.

I like her too. But isn't it too early - she switched less then half a year ago? And there can be literally dozen other Democratic contenders, most - with much bigger experience in the party.

True, which is why I don't think she will run, or would lose if she did, but I still like her.

[Meatball Ron]

Hanabusa is the worst.

Not sure why people think she'll defeat him so easily. It'll be competitive, for sure, but she lost to Schatz in 2010 after he was appointed by an unpopular Governor despite having the endorsement of the legendary Sen Inoyue, so she's certainly not infallible. While I don't know too much about Hawaii politics, one would think voters in Hawaii would start to see through Hanabusa's opportunistic tendencies. And Vega raises a good point about seniority.

Obama endorsed Schatz in 2010 over Hanabusa. A severe tropical storm lowered turnout in a lot of the Asian-American heavy precincts in Hawaii. Even if Schatz was appointed, he was still an incumbent, and if I recall correctly, no incumbent Senators has ever been defeated in a re-election campaign before in Hawaii.

All good points. I wonder if the fact that she's going up against an Asian candidate this time, rather than a white one, will cancel out those possible advantages that she'd have compared to the 2014 race.

[Jeppe]

You'd think she'd primary Hirono instead, given her health issues...try to force her out of the race.

Hirono is much more popular than Ige, and Hanabusa has already been defeated by Hirono once before. They're also both devout Clinton allies, endorsing her early in both 2008 and 2016. David Ige has ran against Obama's most prominent ally in Abercrombie, but he was aldo the very last Democratic Governor to endorse Hillary in 2016.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

She just can't stay in the House, can she?