Five candidates have stepped forward in hopes of filling the now-vacant seat of Molokaʻi Representative Lynn DeCoite. Gov. David Ige recently appointed her to serve in the district’s Senate seat following former Senator J. Kalani English's retirement.
The candidates include a former Maui County Councilmember, community leaders, a small business owner, and an Army veteran:
- Claire Kamalu Carroll of Hāna, Maui, is a board member for the Hāna Community Association, Project Hoʻomana, and Early Childhood Strategies Team 4, and the Soil and Water Conservation District of East Maui
- Linda Clark of Kaupō, Maui, is president of the Kaupō Community Association and has served as a volunteer club leader for 4H
- Stacy Helm Crivello of Molokaʻi, was a County Councilmember for five years and currently works as the island’s liaison for Mayor Michael Victorino
- John-Bull English of Hāna, Maui, is an Army veteran, farmer, advocate for students with learning disabilities, and traditional Hawaiian hale and fishpond builder
- Barbara Haliniak of Molokaʻi, is a small business owner and current president of the Molokai Island Foundation.
Both Carroll and Crivello recently ran unsuccessfully for seats on the county council.
Candidates interested in House District 13 seat had until June 30 to submit their names to the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi.
Party officials plan to convene on July 3 to determine which three names to forward to Ige, who will then have until August 16 to choose a candidate. At the Saturday meeting, each eligible officer of the Democratic Party’s House District 13 Council will be permitted to vote for up to three different candidates.
