Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi selects 3 names to send to the governor for House vacancy
News Release from Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, December 23, 2025
Earlier this month, Rachele Lamosao was appointed to serve as the state Senator for Senate District 19, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Sen. Henry Aquino that took effect Nov. 30. The selection process to fill her vacancy in the State House is currently underway. PC: Office of the Governor.
The members of the Oʻahu County Committee’s House District 36 selection body voted for two candidates out of a possible three: Daisy Hartsfield and Maurice Morita.
Under the Democratic Party bylaw Article IX Section 5C, if for any reason, the selection body is not able to select three names, the County Chair may select the remaining candidate(s). Since the selection body selected two candidates, under the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi’s Bylaws, Article IX Section 5C, Oʻahu County Chair, Lynn Robinson-Onderko, selected Clarence K. Nishihara to be the third qualified candidate for consideration for House District 36.
The three names have been selected to be sent to Gov. Josh Green for his consideration to fill the vacancy created by the appointment of former State House District 36 Representative Rachele Lamosao to Senate District 19.
Daisy Hartsfield (Waipahu) Daisy Hartsfield is an attorney and a social justice advocate focused on healthcare, education, and stable wages so House District 36 residents can meet their daily needs.
Maurice Morita (Waipahu) Maurice Morita is a former public school teacher and active community member serving on the Waipahu Neighborhood Board. Maurice is also a member of the Waipahu United Church of Christ Board of Trustees.
Clarence K. Nishihara (Waipahu) Clarence K. Nishihara assumed office in 2004 as a member of the Hawai`i State Senate, representing the areas of Waipahu, Crestview, Pearl City, Manana, and Pacific Palisades. He served his district for 18 years before retiring from office in 2022.
These three names have been formally transmitted to Gov. Green via an electronic letter. The governor now has until Feb. 18, 2026, to select one of these individuals to serve as the next Representative for House District 36.
“Thank you to Lynn Robinson-Onderko and the selection committee of House District 36 for facilitating this selection process,” said Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Chair Derek Turbin. “We have a good mix of new candidates and seasoned advocates to provide leadership and stability to House District 36.”
“I want to thank all of our candidates and the Selection Body for their participation,” said Lynn Robinson-Onderko, Oʻahu County Chair. “I also want to thank the Democratic Party of Hawai’i Chair, Derek Turbin, and his team for their partnership and commitment to a fair and transparent process.”
The meeting, which was conducted over Zoom Webinar and available to the public, was held on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at 10 a.m. Each participating member of the selection body was entitled to vote for up to three of the prospective candidates.
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Appointed Sen Lamasao fails in Gambit to Appoint Husband to House Seat
CB Dec 21, 2025: … one name that won’t be on the list is that of Justin Cadiz. He is married to Lamosao (they met at Miske’s M Nightclub) and under the kind of strange nominating process used by the party had made the final list on Friday. Cadiz himself and Lamosao were among the five Democrats submitting nomination signatures on his behalf.
(Akamai readers will now pause to meditate on the fact that Lamasao took $2000 from Friends of Ty Cullen after he was arrested.)
But Cadiz, a civil engineer (Hawaiian Dredging) and community volunteer, withdrew from the nominating process “to focus on his family and personal responsibilities,” Oʻahu County Committee Chair Lynn Robinson-Onderko told The Blog.
… The Blog hears that some Democrats were troubled by the appointment process that seemed to give some candidates an inside track over others, particularly Cadiz.
Meantime, as of Saturday morning, the three remaining finalists for the House seat, all of them from Waipahu, were (corrected to induce accuracy):
CWS CHILD ABUSE ADMINISTRATOR: Daisy Hartsfield, an attorney and a social justice advocate focused on health care, education and stable wages (administrator of the Social Services Division overseeing the Child Welfare Services Branch within the state Department of Human Services who has the gall to seek this appointment after all that happened on her watch).
A LABORERS UNION LOBBYIST: Maurice T. Morita, a former public school teacher and active community member serving on the Waipahu Neighborhood Board (lobbyist for HSTA and Laborers Union Trust Fund).
A DOCTOR: Inam Rahman, a physician and small business owner ….
(CLUE: After this was written, the selecion committee dumped Rahman and replaced him with Nishihara. See below.)
read … The Sunshine Blog: A Glitch Shrouds Effort To Fill Waipahu House Seat - Honolulu Civil Beat
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Domestic Abuse Allegations Prompt Democrats To Scuttle HD36 Legislative Nominee
CB: … The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi has pulled the name of one of its three candidates to fill a state House vacancy representing Waipahu.
Lynn Robinson-Onderko, the Oʻahu County chair, decided that Inam Rahman should not be on the list that was sent to Gov. Josh Green on Monday for his consideration for District 36. The reason, she said, is that a party member alerted her that Rahman and his wife had been named in Hawaiʻi court documents regarding domestic abuse allegations….
read … Domestic Abuse Allegations Prompt Democrats To Scuttle Legislative Nominee - Honolulu Civil Beat