Hashimoto appointed to open Senate seat at a ‘critical time’

Governor made selection quickly to prepare for upcoming session

WAILUKU -- Citing his leadership on housing, how he fights for Maui, his conscience and his care for people, Gov. Josh Green selected state House Rep. Troy Hashimoto to assume the vacant District 5 state Senate seat.

Hashimoto, who represented House District 10, which includes Kahakuloa, Waiehu, Wailuku and Waikapu, takes the place of retired Sen. Gil Keith-Agaran, whose district encompasses House Districts 9 and 10, and includes Kahului, Puunene, Kahakuloa, Waiehu, Wailuku and Waikapu.

Green announced his appointment of Hashimoto, chairman of the House Committee on Housing, at a news conference at the governor's office in Wailuku Thursday morning.

"This is a very critical time," Green said. "We felt it was very important, Troy, that we had a steady hand who could deliver for the community."

"As we rebuild Lahaina we have an excellent additional senator here and now to fight for resources, to share with my team what the day-to-day needs will be in addition to the council, the mayor and the rest of the delegation," Green added.

Hashimoto, who was born and raised on Maui, thanked Green and his team for the work they have done together in the past and noted how things have now changed and brought more complexities after the Aug. 8 wildfires.

"We really need to focus on how we are going to proceed here on Maui and of course throughout the state," Hashimoto said, adding that he is "looking forward to being a partner with him (Green), all the senators, of course all my House colleagues, because it is really about working together to find common ground and solutions because we just have so much at stake for us today and all of our future generations."

In a statement Thursday afternoon, Senate President Ronald Kouchi said: "I am truly pleased to extend a warm welcome to Senator Hashimoto as our chamber's newest member. Given his character, experience as a legislator, and knowledge of the district, I am confident that he will be a valuable addition to the Senate."

Hashimoto was one of three names submitted by the Democratic Party of Hawaii to the governor, who had until Dec. 30 to make a selection. The other candidates were Jason Economou, attorney and former government affairs director for the Realtors Association of Maui, and Justin Hughey, elementary school teacher and former Hawai'i State Teachers Association vice president.

The names were submitted to Green after being vetted by members of the Maui County Democratic Party Committee's Senate District 5 selection body, comprised of the party's district officers who reside in the district and met on Nov. 4 at Iao Intermediate School and via Zoom.

When asked about the quick selection, Green said, "I felt strongly that we shouldn't delay. I felt we needed a senator in office to be engaged, so he can help us put a package together for Maui. We intend to have initial drafts of the Maui recovery package legislation going in this month. We want to have those details. We need his mana'o on this."

Green added that he and his wife, Jaime, will be on a state mission in Japan next week, and the Senate also has confirmations coming up for associate justices on the Hawaii Supreme Court, so it was important to fill the seat sooner than later.

As for his new role as senator, Hashimoto, a 36-year-old Wailuku resident, said he now has a larger district, but his focus will continue on the expansion of schools, including building a new Central Maui middle school, as well as working with Maui Health to bring down Maui Memorial Medical Center's state subsidy and creating more affordable housing, with Waikapu eyed for larger-scale development.

As for inheriting Keith-Agaran's committee assignments, including the vice chairman position on the powerful Senate Ways and Means Committee, Hashimoto said in a text following the news conference that his understanding is that he will need to negotiate that with Senate leadership.

"There will be movement in the Senate as they will have to fill Gil's Vice-Chair position on WAM so once the shuffle happens will likely know more," Hashimoto wrote.

Keith-Agaran submitted his resignation on Aug. 30 to Green, Kouchi and the Maui County Democrats. At the time he told The Maui News that he didn't want question over conflict of interest to be a "distraction" as his law firm prepared to represent clients in lawsuits over the Lahaina fire.

When asked, Hashimoto did not say whether he had a successor in mind for his House seat, but said he trusts his party members on Maui whom he hopes will give the governor a "stellar list" to pick from that "will represent our community well."

Maui County Democratic Party officials will now have to submit three names to Green within 30 days to fill Hashimoto's vacancy.

Prior to becoming a state representative, Hashimoto served as executive assistant to former Maui County Council Chairman Mike White from 2011 until 2018 when he was appointed by then-Gov. David Ige to fill the remainder of the term for the seat vacated by resigning Rep. Joe Souki. Hashimoto was elected in 2018 and reelected in 2020 and 2022.

* Staff Writer Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.