Hawaii Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz was appointed to the U.S. Senate Wednesday, reports local ABC News affiliate KITV. Schatz will take the seat of Sen. Daniel Inouye, who passed away on Dec. 17. Schatz will face a general election in 2014.
In choosing Schatz, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie bucked the wish of Inouye, who had expressed in a letter to the governor that it was his “last wish” that Rep. Colleen Hanabusa be selected to replace him. “Senator Inouye conveyed his final wish to Governor Abercrombie,” Jennifer Sabas, who served as Inouye’s chief of staff, said in a statement Wednesday. “While we are very disappointed that it was not honored, it was the Governor’s decision to make. We wish Brian Schatz the best of luck.”
