Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie appoints Brian Schatz to replace Dan Inouye

[truebluefan]

After days of intense speculation, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie has chosen Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz to replace Sen. Dan Inouye, who died of respiratory complications on Dec. 17 at the age of 88. Earlier in the day on Wednesday, pursuant to state law, the Hawaii Democratic Party provided a list of three potential successors to Abercrombie: Schatz, Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, and deputy state Land and Natural Resources Director Esther Kiaaina. Abercrombie was required to choose from this trio. (Fourteen candidates in total applied for the job.)

Following Inouye's death, his staff made public a letter he had sent to Abercrombie from his deathbed, asking that Hanabusa be named to his seat. Schatz's appointment therefore comes as something of a surprise, given Inouye's unparalleled stature in Hawaii politics, but if Abercrombie wanted to demonstrate his independence, he certainly just did that.

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