Two former heavy weights in the office of the late Senator Daniel Inouye are working to fulfill the Senator’s dying wish, reports Civil Beat.
Both Inouye’s Chief of Staff and his former deputy chief of staff are working pro-bono in the campaign of U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa to unseat Senator Brian Schatz.
Inouye let it be known that he wanted Hanabusa to succeed him. Instead Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie appointed Schatz.
Jennifer Sabas worked for the Inouye for 25 years, serving as his Chief of Staff since 1994. She was considered the Senator’s enforcer, but worked largely behind the scenes. She has strong ties to Hawaii’s political elite and could be instrumental in bringing Inouye’s supporters to the Hanabusa campaign.
Peter Boylan served as both deputy chief and the Senator’s spokesperson. He is married to Hanabusa’s spokesperson in Washington, D.C.
“The senator continues to cast a shadow on Hawaii politics,” said John Hart, professor and chair of Hawaii Pacific University’s Department of Communication. “If anyone thought it would just evaporate when he passed from the Earth, that’s a very questionable assumption.”
You can read more about the Hanabusa campaign in Civil Beat.