Hawaii's 2nd congressional district special elections, 2002-2003

Elections in Hawaii
Federal government Presidential elections 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 Presidential caucuses Democratic 2008 Republican 2008 2012 U.S. Senate elections 1976 1982 1988 1992 1994 1998 2000 2004 2006 2010 2012 2016 U.S. House elections 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 Special elections to U.S. Congress Senate, 1990 2nd district, 2002-2003 1st district, 2010 Senate, 2014
State government Gubernatorial elections 1959 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 State Senate elections 2012 State House of Representatives elections 2012
Ballot measures 1998 Amendment 2
Honolulu Mayoral elections 2010 2012

The United States House of Representatives special election in Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, 2002-2003 occurred on November 30, 2002 and January 4, 2003 to select the successor to Patsy Mink (D) who had died from Pneumonia. In accordance with Hawaiian state law, the special election was officially nonpartisan.

Background

On August 30, 2002, Mink was hospitalized in Honolulu's Straub Clinic and Hospital with complications from chickenpox. Her condition steadily worsened, and on September 28, 2002, Mink died in Honolulu of viral pneumonia. The week prior to her untimely death, she had won renomination. By this point, it was too late to remove her name from the general election ballot. On November 5, 2002, Mink was posthumously re-elected over state Representative Bob McDermott (R). As a result, this triggered a special election to fill the vacancy. In accordance with Hawaiian law the election was non-partisan and conducted in two rounds, the first to fill the vacancy during the 107th United States Congress and the second for the new term beginning on January 3, 2003.

First Round (November 30, 2002)

The two most notable candidates to compete in the first round were then-state representative and former state House Majority Leader Ed Case and John Mink, the former husband of the late Congresswoman. Despite the latter's connections to the district's prior Representative, Case would win the election with fifty-one percent of the vote.

Second Round (January 3, 2003)

The now freshman incumbent Case immediately ran for reelection in the early January 2003 round for the Second district seat in the 108th Congress, going up against more than three dozen other candidates. Other Democrats included state Senators Matt Matsunaga and Colleen Hanabusa. Republicans included state Representatives Barbara Marumoto and Bob C. McDermott, and former Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi. Case won this election with 43 percent of the vote.

Results

2002

2003

References