Gary Hooser running for state Senate

Kaua’i County Councilman Gary Hooser has decided to run for the state Senate.

In a letter to his closest supporters, Hooser announced yesterday that he would enter the primary election in September against a fellow Democrat and the 7th District incumbent, Sen. Jonathan Chun.

Hooser said the “key challenges” of the county are tied to state government, including highways, beaches, harbors and airports.

Without naming names, Hooser said he has the support of many of Kauai’s longtime Democrats. But so does Chun, and the incumbent senator welcomed Hooser into the race.

“There will be no change in my approach,” Chun said.

Hooser’s announcement means there will now be three open seats on the County Council in this fall’s election.

Councilmen Ron Kouchi and Bryan Baptiste earlier announced their candidacies to replace Mayor Maryanne Kusaka, who is completing her second and final term.

Hooser, the president of H&S Publishing in Kapa’a since 1985, is in the final year of his second two-year term as a council member.

Often the sole dissenting vote on many issues, Hooser expressed his fatigue privately in the past few months at so often standing alone on local issues.

Chun said Hooser’s presence in the Senate race “is good for the process.”

“He and I sat down in 1998 when we both first decided to run for office and had a good talk about the needs of government. I have nothing bad to say about him. We are almost on the same wave length,” Chun said.

He said feel Hooser’s full-time residency on Kaua’i won’t be a campaign advantage for the councilman. Chun, an attorney based in Lihu’e, said that even when the Legislature is in session on Oahu, he returns hom on the weekends.

In 1998, Chun handily defeated Republican Bob Measel Jr.

Republican Party leaders on Kaua’i couldn’t be reached for comment about this year’s Senate race.

Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) and mailto:dwilken@pulitzer.net