Hawaii: Primary Challenge

Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Honolulu) is refusing to deny reports that she is mulling a Democratic primary challenge to Gov. David Ige.  Ms. Hanabusa was first elected to the House in 2010, defeating short-term Republican incumbent Charles Djou.  In 2014, she decided to challenge appointed Sen. Brian Schatz in the Democratic primary, but failed to unseat him.  When her successor in the House, Rep. Mark Takai (D), tragically passed away from pancreatic cancer before his first re-election, Ms. Hanabusa returned to win the 2016 concurrent special and general elections to re-claim the congressional seat.  Now, she may be on the move again.
 
In 2014, Mr. Ige, then a long-time state Senator, challenged Gov. Neil Abercrombie in the Democratic primary in a state that rarely defeats incumbents.  Ige would defy all odds and go onto score an incredible 69-31% victory over the Governor, soundly denying him re-nomination in his own primary.  Now, Rep. Hanabusa may attempt to ironically follow the same course against Ige, himself.  This, too, is a developing story.

--Jim Ellis