On Saturday, the Maui County Democrats chose three nominees to fill House Rep. Troy Hashimoto’s seat as he was appointed Nov. 9 by Gov. Josh Green to fill the state Senate District 5 seat left vacant after the retirement of Sen. Gil Keith-Agaran, whose district encompasses House Districts 9 and 10, and includes Kahului, Puunene, Kahakuloa, Waiehu, Wailuku and Waikapu.

Those chosen by the Maui County Democrats vacancy selection body for House District 10 are: Hawaiian Paddle Sports founder and community leader Timothy Scott Lara, social worker and local attorney Leslee D. Matthews and former Chief of Staff to Mayor Michael Victorino, Tyson K. Miyake.

The Democratic Party of Hawai’i submitted the three names to Green on Sunday. Green has 60 days from the vacancy date to appoint someone to the seat, officials said.

The vacancy selection body met Saturday at the ILWU Hall in Wailuku and via Zoom.

State Sen. Troy Hashimoto addresses the House District 10 vacancy selection body Saturday at the ILWU Hall in Wailuku. Members were nominating possible successors for Hashimoto’s previous House seat. Maui County Democrats, Democratic Party of Hawaii

Candidates went through a “rigorous” application process, provided written statements and were interviewed, according to a news release.

“On behalf of the House District 10 Vacancy Selection Body, our deepest mahalo to these nominees on their willingness to serve during an important time in our community. Central Maui legislators have always played an important role at the State Capitol, and we look forward to the Governor’s appointment from this pool of qualified community leaders,” said Jared Sam Agtunong, Maui County chairman for the Democratic Party of Hawai’i in a news release.

Lara, 42, of Wailuku, said Monday that he applied for the House seat as he saw it as “an opportunity to continue my service to our community.”

Lara is also the former chairman of the Maui County Democratic Party and is currently serving as Maui Representative for the Democratic Party State Central Committee.

He is also a director for the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, Hawaii Land Trust-Maui Council and is a former chairman of the Surfrider Foundation’s Maui Chapter.

Lara added: “It is an honor and privilege to be considered for this opportunity to continue my service to the Maui community and state.”

Matthews, 39, of Wailuku, said she would “love to serve in this position” in her aunty Jill Paresa Rogoff’s district in her honor as she died in July.

Matthews said that Rogoff is one of her heroes and mentors and rooted her in Hawaiian culture and practices.

“Whenever I would leave for work in the morning, she would tell me something in ‘Olelo Hawai’i and to go out there and make Maui a better place,” Matthews said in a statement to The Maui News.

Matthews is the founder and managing attorney for Speak Out & Up law firm. She is also president of the African American Lawyers Association of Hawai’i, immediate past president of the Maui County Bar Association, member of the Women’s Prison Project and lecturer for the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.

She said she was thankful for the selection committee convening and their support.

“I would love to use my knowledge, skills, and experience, to serve in this role of service for our community,” Matthews said.

Miyake, 41, of Wailuku, said “I applied for the state House vacant seat because Maui is at a critical juncture, especially after the recent wildfires. It’s critical to have a representative that will be collaborative to help navigate these challenges, and I’m committed to putting in the hard work to get the job done.”

Miyake was also chief operating officer at Miyake Concrete Accessories Inc., a family-owned business.

He is also a director on the American Cancer Society Hawaii Pacific board, a mentor for the Maui High School Academy of Hospitality & Tourism and Academy of Finance and also was an executive board director for the Boy Scouts of America.

In a news release, Miyake said the seat is “an important position to fill to help keep Maui moving forward.”

He added: “My fellow colleagues (Lara and Matthews) are also very dedicated to public service and have impressive qualifications.”

The process to replace Hashimoto comes after Keith-Agaran submitted his resignation on Aug. 30 to Green, state Senate President Ron 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.

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