Colleen Hanabusa hopes to have the last word.
Governor Neil Abercrombie passed her over when he named Brian Schatz to succeed Senator Daniel Inouye after the long time Senator from Hawaii passed away at the age of 88.
Hanabusa had been Inouye’s choice to succeed him and the Senator let his feelings known right before he died in a letter to Abercrombie.
Hanabusa is now challenging Schatz in what is turning out to be one of the most closely watched Senate races in the upcoming 2014 election.
“This is the first time the people are going to be able to vote for who they feel should fill that Senate seat,” Hanabusa said to Politico. “So the people have the opportunity to choose, and I’m putting myself out there because I believe the majority of people out there want me.”