11-08-2008, 10:46 AM
Federal law allows each state to establish how U.S. Senate vacancies are filled. Hawaii law calls for the governor to appoint a temporary replacement to the U.S. Senate until the post can be filled at the next regular election. The governor must pick from a list of three candidates provided by the party of the former incumbent, and the one picked would serve out the remainder of the original term.
In 2005 Lingle picked Oahu small businesswoman and lobbyist Bev Harbin to replace state Rep. Ken Hiraki, who had left for business reasons. Harbin had joined the Democratic Party just a few days after Hiraki announced his resignation (it was almost as though she knew she might be picked!). Harbin later refused Lingle's request to resign when it was found she had shut down a business owing the state $125,000 and had some check-kiting convictions in the past. She ran for the office the following year but lost in the primary.
The Hawaii law for U.S. Senator vacancies requires that the person picked must have been a member of that party for at least six months. The law was amended in 2007, and although I'm not sure which part, I wouldn't be surprised if it and the ones regarding Hawaii legislative vacancies were changed in response to the Harbin debacle.
In 2005 Lingle picked Oahu small businesswoman and lobbyist Bev Harbin to replace state Rep. Ken Hiraki, who had left for business reasons. Harbin had joined the Democratic Party just a few days after Hiraki announced his resignation (it was almost as though she knew she might be picked!). Harbin later refused Lingle's request to resign when it was found she had shut down a business owing the state $125,000 and had some check-kiting convictions in the past. She ran for the office the following year but lost in the primary.
The Hawaii law for U.S. Senator vacancies requires that the person picked must have been a member of that party for at least six months. The law was amended in 2007, and although I'm not sure which part, I wouldn't be surprised if it and the ones regarding Hawaii legislative vacancies were changed in response to the Harbin debacle.