The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi has picked three possible replacements for the Central Maui House seat previously vacated by Rep. Troy Hashimoto.
The three nominees for the state House of Representatives include entrepreneur Timothy Lara, social worker and attorney Leslee Matthews, and Tyson Miyake, the former chief of staff to Maui Mayor Mike Victorino.
House District 10 covers portions of Waiehu, Wailuku and Waikapū.
Lara is the former Maui County Democratic Party Chair. He has founded several companies, including Hawaiian Paddle Sports.
Matthews has worked as a legislative attorney for the Maui County Council and for the state Senate. She also has a law firm, Speak Out & Up Law.
In addition to being the former chief of staff to then-Mayor Mike Victorino, Miyake was previously the COO of Miyake Concrete Associates, a family-owned business.
The nominations are part of a domino effect resulting from Sen. Gil Keith-Agaran’s resignation in October. His law firm is involved in a lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric Co. over the Maui fires. Keith-Agaran stepped down after facing criticism for a possible conflict of interest.
Gov. Josh Green appointed Hashimoto to replace Keith-Agaran’s Senate seat. Maui County Democrats then selected three candidates for the open House seat this past weekend.
The names have been sent to Green for decision-making.
