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Some House Members Flop In Bids for Governor

Colleen Hanabusa is the latest one to fall

 Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, D-Hawaii, lost her primary run for governor. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
 Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, D-Hawaii, lost her primary run for governor. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Hawaii Rep. Colleen Hanabusa’s loss in the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary is the latest example of House members losing their bids for the highest office in a state. 

Hanabusa lost the primary Saturday to incumbent Gov. David Ige. Hanabusa returned to the House in 2016 after the death of former Rep. Mark Takai.

Hanabusa previously served in Congress from 2011 to 2015 before losing the primary to incumbent Rep. Brian Schatz to finish the term of late former Sen. Daniel Inouye.

Here’s what has happened so far when House members have turned their attention to the governor’s mansion:

  • In May, Rep. Raul Labrador, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, lost the Republican primary for governor in Idaho.
  • Earlier this month, Tennessee Rep. Diane Black, who served as chairwoman of the House Budget Committee, came third in the gubernatorial primary. Black had been endorsed by Vice President Mike Pence and tried to attach herself to President Donald Trump but Trump never endorsed her.
  • Rep. Kristi Noem won the GOP primary for governor in South Dakota.
  • Michelle Lujan Grisham won the Democratic nomination for New Mexico governor in June. She will face Steve Pearce, who was unopposed in the Republican primary. 

On Tuesday, Minnesota’s primary will feature two Democrats running in the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party. Rep. Tim Walz is running for governor while Rep. Rick Nolan is running for lieutenant governor.

Florida is holding its primary on Aug. 28 Rep. Ron DeSantis is running for the Republican nomination there. 

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