2002–03 Hawaii's 2nd congressional district special elections

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There were two United States House of Representatives special elections in Hawaii's 2nd congressional district within 35 days of each other to select the successor to Democrat Patsy Mink who had died from pneumonia. The elections, held November 30, 2002, and January 4, 2003, were officially nonpartisan and each held as general elections without primaries to pick a successor for the remainder of her term in the 107th Congress and for the next term in the 108th Congress, to which Mink was posthumously re-elected. Both elections were won by Democrat Ed Case.

Contents

Background

On August 30, 2002, Mink was hospitalized in Honolulu's Straub Clinic and Hospital with complications from chickenpox. Her condition steadily worsened, and on September 28, 2002, Mink died in Honolulu of viral pneumonia. The week prior to her untimely death, she had won renomination. By this point, it was too late to remove her name from the general election ballot. On November 5, 2002, Mink was posthumously re-elected over state Representative Bob McDermott (R). As a result, this triggered two separate special elections: the first to fill the vacancy during the end of the 107th Congress and the second for the new term beginning on January 3, 2003. In accordance with Hawaiian law the elections were single nonpartisan races without primaries.

Election to the 107th Congress (November 30, 2002)

The two most notable candidates to compete in the first election were then-state representative and former state House Majority Leader Ed Case and John Mink, the former husband of the late Congresswoman. Despite the latter's connections to the district's prior representative, Case would win the election with fifty-one percent of the vote.

2002 Hawaii's 2nd district special election [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ed Case 23,576 51.44%
Democratic John Mink16,62436.27%
Republican John S. Carroll 1,9334.22%
Republican Whitney Anderson 9422.06%
Nonpartisan Mark McNett4490.98%
Democratic Kekoa David Kaapu2690.59%
Republican Richard Haake2290.50%
Republican Doug Fairhurst1730.38%
Republican Kimo Kaloi1490.33%
Green Nick Nikhilananda1360.30%
Democratic Solomon Nalua'i1160.25%
Republican Walter R. Barnes940.21%
Republican Carolyn Golojuch940.21%
Republican Clifford Rhodes860.19%
Republican Timmy Yuen850.19%
Republican Joe Conner830.18%
Republican Joseph Payne690.15%
Democratic Brian G. Cole670.15%
Democratic John L. Baker660.14%
Democratic Michael Gagne620.14%
Republican Bob Schieve550.12%
Nonpartisan Ron Jacobs540.12%
Nonpartisan Lillian Hong510.11%
Democratic Art Reyes510.11%
Nonpartisan John Mayer470.10%
Libertarian Jeff Mallan330.07%
Libertarian Lawrence Duquesne320.07%
Democratic Steve Tataii280.06%
Nonpartisan Bill Russell270.06%
Nonpartisan John Parker270.06%
Green Gregory Goodwin270.06%
Democratic Charles Collins180.04%
Nonpartisan Jack Randall160.03%
Democratic Paul Britos150.03%
Nonpartisan Dan A. Cole150.03%
Nonpartisan Mike Rethman110.02%
Nonpartisan S.J. Harlan100.02%
Nonpartisan Robert Martin Jr.100.02%
Total votes46,216 100%

Election to the 108th Congress (January 4, 2003)

The now-freshman incumbent Case immediately ran for reelection in the early January 2003 race for the second district seat in the 108th Congress, going up against more than three dozen other candidates. Other Democrats included state Senators Matt Matsunaga and Colleen Hanabusa. Republicans included state Representatives Barbara Marumoto and Bob C. McDermott, and former Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi. Case won this election with 43 percent of the vote.

2003 Hawaii's 2nd district special election [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ed Case 33,002 43.67%
Democratic Matt Matsunaga23,05030.5%
Democratic Colleen Hanabusa 6,0468.00%
Republican Barbara Marumoto 4,4975.95%
Republican Bob C. McDermott4,2985.69%
Republican Chris Halford7280.96%
Republican Kimo Kaloi6420.85%
Republican John S. Carroll 5210.69%
Republican Frank Fasi 4830.64%
Nonpartisan Mark McNett4490.59%
Republican Jim Rath4140.55%
Republican Richard Haake2120.28%
Republican Nelson Secretario2080.28%
Republican Whitney Anderson 2010.27%
Nonpartisan Ron Jacobs910.12%
Green Nick Nikhilananda750.10%
Democratic Brian G. Cole690.09%
Democratic Kekoa David Kaapu680.09%
Libertarian Jeff Mallan580.08%
Nonpartisan Sophie Mataafa520.07%
Republican Doug Fairhurst380.05%
Democratic Michael Gagne350.05%
Republican Carolyn Martinez Golojuch290.04%
Green Gregory Goodwin270.04%
Republican Rich Payne250.03%
Republican Clarence Weatherwax250.03%
Nonpartisan Kabba Anand240.03%
Nonpartisan Dan Vierra220.03%
Republican John Sabey200.03%
Democratic Pat Rocco190.03%
Nonpartisan Bill Russell180.02%
Nonpartisan Steve Sparks170.02%
Nonpartisan Solomon Wong160.02%
Democratic Art Reyes150.02%
Democratic Paul Britos130.02%
Nonpartisan S.J. Harlan110.01%
Democratic Charles Collins100.01%
Nonpartisan Jack Randall90.01%
Democratic Steve Tataii90.01%
Nonpartisan Marshall Turner80.01%
Republican Mike Rethman80.01%
Democratic Herbert Jensen60.01%
Nonpartisan Alan Gano30.01%
Nonpartisan Bartle Rowland30.01%
Total votes76,328 100%

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References

  1. "Office of Elections". elections.hawaii.gov. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  2. "SPECIAL ELECTION - STATE OF HAWAII - STATEWIDE" (PDF). January 5, 2003. Retrieved February 25, 2020.