So come Friday, Hawaii will finally get it's Democratic nominee and next U.S. Senator:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/...
A special election for two precincts in the storm-ravaged Puna district of Hawaii for the Democratic primary between Sen. Brian Schatz and Rep. Colleen Hanabusa has been scheduled for Friday.
The announcement, made by Hawaii election officials according to Hawaii News Now, is a result of voters in those precincts being unable to vote because of Hurricane Iselle. - TPM, 8/12/14
The remaining precincts contain 8,200 votes, enough to to possibly decide who the Democratic nominee will be. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D. HI) sounds both nervous and channeling her inner conspiracy theorist:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/...
"There are irregularities that have occurred in terms of just access, and I'm hoping that the Office of Elections will look at it," Hanabusa said according to Politico on Monday.
Hanabusa's comments come as she trails Schatz by a small margin. As of Monday, Schatz was leading Hanabusa by just 1,635 votes, too close for many to call the race. Now the focus in the Democratic primary has fallen onto a pair of precincts in the Puna District of Hawaii, where some voters were unable to vote because of the storm. There are enough registered voters there to flip the lead in Hanabusa's favor but she would have to do especially well in those precincts for that to happen.
"We've got a lot of people coming up to us saying, 'We couldn't get out to vote but they didn't close us down," Hanabusa said. "We have a lot of people who are talking about the election because they felt in fact they were disenfranchised." - TPM, 8/12/14
It sounds to me like Hanabusa knows she's going to lose and is complaining about "voting irregularities" very much like loser Tea Party State Senator Chris McDaniel (R. MS) after failing to unseat incumbent Senator Thad Cochran (R. MS) in the GOP primary. Knowing the Hanabusa is nervous make me optimistic about Schatz sealing his victory but we have to make sure those voters get out for him. Luckily Democracy For America is helping out with those efforts:
Wow. Did you see the razor-thin U.S. Senate primary election results over the weekend?
With all but two precincts counted, Brian Schatz -- a critical progressive Senator from the Elizabeth Warren wing of the Democratic Party -- has a narrow 1,635 vote lead over Colleen Hanabusa, a corporate Democrat trying to unseat Schatz from representing Hawai'i in the senate.
Here's the catch: Those two remaining precincts still haven't voted yet. Because of storm damage from a hurricane that hit Hawai'i right before the election, the state is allowing 8,000 voters to submit absentee ballots in the coming days.
Those voters will decide whether Brian Schatz continues to stand alongside Elizabeth Warren to fight for progressive values, or if he's replaced by a corporate Democrat who we can't trust on the issues that matter most. There's going to be an all-out fight for those final votes. We have to win them.
DFA is mobilizing to help make sure Brian Schatz wins those two precincts. Will you donate $3 to help get out the vote and put Brian Schatz over the top?
https://secure.actblue.com/...
Brian Schatz is a strong supporter of protecting and expanding Social Security benefits. His opponent, Colleen Hanabusa, voted for the Simpson-Bowles plan that would have cut Social Security and Medicare benefits.
Schatz's support for expanding Social Security is a big reason why he is leading so far in the election returns.That's why this race in Hawai'i is so important. If we can help Schatz win these last two precincts, we can show Democrats across America that protecting and expanding Social Security is good politics as well as good policy.
We have just a few weeks to secure just two more precincts for a progressive hero -- or risk losing them to a corporate Democrat who we can't rely on to protect Social Security. Donate $3 today to help Brian Schatz win this critical race for the U.S. Senate!
https://secure.actblue.com/...
Thank you for helping a progressive leader,
- Charles
Charles Chamberlain, Executive Director
Democracy for America
Click here to contribute to DFA's efforts to secure Schatz's victory:
https://secure.actblue.com/...