State Sen. Gary Hooser, D-Kaua‘i-Ni‘ihau, officially announced Sunday he’ll seek re-election next year. Close to 1,000 people at his stew-and-rice fund-raiser at Smith’s Tropical Paradise in Wailua applauded the decision. “I am running for re-election,” Hooser said yesterday. And he
State Sen. Gary Hooser, D-Kaua‘i-Ni‘ihau, officially announced Sunday he’ll seek re-election next year.
Close to 1,000 people at his stew-and-rice fund-raiser at Smith’s Tropical Paradise in Wailua applauded the decision.
“I am running for re-election,” Hooser said yesterday. And he welcomes competition, he said, even from former Kaua‘i Mayor Maryanne Kusaka.
“I think competition’s a good thing,” said Hooser, predicting that the “election will be about values, beliefs, actions, and what I’ve gotten done.”
The senator said in a telephone interview that Kusaka has stated earlier it will take $130,000 to run her Senate campaign, if she decides to run.
“Where’s all that money going to come from? It’s going to come from Honolulu special interests,” because there’s not that much money for a single candidate on Kaua‘i alone, he said.
“I don’t think money’s going to be enough to win,” he added.
Hooser had many members of the Hawai‘i State Teachers Association volunteering at his Sunday event, and says many of those teachers will remain his supporters even if retired-teacher Kusaka enters the race.
“They understand I’m 100-percent behind them and their efforts,” Hooser said of the state’s public-school teachers.
The senator also wouldn’t rule out the possibility of having competition in the Democratic primary at the end of next summer, though he hasn’t heard of any potential in-party competitors yet.
“It’s possible.”
Kusaka is expected to make her decision by the end of next month, said Hooser.
“I love my work. I work hard. If people like my work, they’ll re-elect me,” he said.
