Honolulu City Council Member Mark Edmund “Duke” Bainum died last night at 11 p.m., reportedly of an aneurism. He was 56.

His fellow council members were quick to issue statements. Council member Charles Djou says: "I am stunned by the passing of my friend and colleague Duke Bainum. Duke was a dear friend, a great councilmember, and most of all a decent man. The people have lost an honest, hardworking public servant. My heart goes out to Duke's wife Jennifer, his two young boys, and all of his family."

Governor Lingle issued a statement: “I am deeply saddened by the news of Councilmember Bainum’s sudden death. As a physician, he was trained to identify symptoms and treat patients based on his abilities, judgment and compassion. He approached public office in much the same way, by identifying the problems that ail our community and applying solutions that he believed would make our community stronger and help our residents thrive. We are grateful for his years of public service at both the state and county levels and his commitment to making a difference in people’s lives. I join the people of Hawaii in extending my condolences to Councilmember Bainum’s family.”

Lt. Governor Aiona also issued his thoughts in a press release: “Vivian and I are saddened by the death of Duke Bainum. Duke will be remembered for his meaningful contributions to ethics reform and his steadfast dedication to integrity in government during his long and distinguished career in public service. Duke’s wife, Jennifer, and the rest of the Bainum family are in our thoughts and prayers.”

Bainum, a former Hawaii legislator, council member and 2004 candidate for mayor, returned to Hawaii from the mainland in 2008 to run for the open council seat left open by then Council Member Ann Kobayashi.

Kobayashi opted not run unopposed for her Manoa/Ala Moana council seat and instead ran for mayor against Mufi Hannemann who was seeking his second term.

Kobayashi, who announced her plans to run for mayor on the last day of filing, lost the mayor’s race, but is considered a front-runner should she want to now reclaim her council seat.

A special election must be held to fill Bainum’s council seat within the next 60 days.

Kobayashi told Hawaii Reporter that she said she has not made a decision yet as to whether she will run in the special election. She said since November, she’s been focusing on her community volunteer work with the elderly at the Palolo Chinese Home and in the Meals on Wheels project, and is actually on her way to Rome tonight to see her daughter.

Mayor Hannemann Now in Race for Governor

In what was the top news of the day until Bainum’s untimely death, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann formed a committee to run for governor in 2010. He'll take on Congressman Neil Abercrombie in the Democratic primary. Lt. Gov. James Duke Aiona and John Carroll will run against each other in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

Hannemann is in the midst of his second year of his second-four year term as mayor. He would not commit during the 2008 mayor’s race to stay as mayor through his second term, instead making it clear he would likely run for higher office.

The plan was for Kirk Caldwell, his managing director, to take over as mayor when Hannemann left, thereby getting a political boost when running his own campaign for mayor.

Caldwell, an attorney, former House majority leader and major proponent of the Honolulu rail project, had planned to run for Kobayashi’s council seat, but removed himself from the race after he could not get the proper number of required signatures to qualify by the filing deadline.

But Caldwell, a prominent Democrat, will undoubtedly have competition during the mayor’s non-partisan election in 2010.

Three-time Honolulu City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle unofficially told supporters and friends recently that he plans to run for mayor. He is out of town and could not be reached for comment. Carlisle, who in the past has considered a run for congress, joined the Republican party, and has hosted its conventions. He’s been a popular prosecutor and easily re-elected.

Former Mayoral Candidate Panos Prevedouros, a professor of traffic engineering at the University of Hawaii, is also reportedly running for mayor. His professional background, knowledge of why Oahu’s infrastructure continues to fail, and fun, outgoing personality, helped him garner nearly 30 percent of the vote during the 2008 primary election with very little funding.

Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman, the A&E reality show star who shows off his crime fighting skills on his bounty hunter show, is also considering a run for mayor.

Despite Death of Council Member, Controversial Budget Meeting Still on Today

Despite Bainum’s death, the council opted to hold its budget meeting today, because according to Council Member Donovan Dela Cruz, the budget needs to be finalized by June 15.

A record 9 percent property tax hike, the 67 percent vehicle weight tax, among other tax and fee hikes, will pass to fund the mayor’s unprecedented $3.5 billion budget, including a $1.8 billion operation budget and a $1.7 billion capital construction budget.

Among the most controversial provisions is funding the rail for $1.1 billion before any federal approval or federal funding. See more about that on http://www.honolulutraffic.com

Reach Hawaii Reporter at mailto:Malia@hawaiireporter.com

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