There is no question that the Inouye name will have a presence in next year's Hawaii Senate special election; the only question is how much it will affect the race. Irene Hirano Inouye, the widow of the late Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, endorsed Rep. Colleen Hanabusa in the Democratic primary back in May. And on Monday, Inouye signed her name to an EMILY's List email asking for donations for Hanabusa's bid against appointed Sen. Brian Schatz. "I have full confidence that Colleen will serve Hawai'i in the way the people deserve — with honorable leadership and continued respect," Inouye said in the email. "This is not the time for on-the-job-training." Meanwhile, Peter Boylan, a former deputy chief of staff to Inouye, said last week that he would be helping Hanabusa's campaign as a spokesman. And the Honolulu Civil Beat reported Monday that former Inouye Chief of Staff Jennifer Sabas will also help Hanabusa's campaign. (more…)
