Sen. Akaka of Hawaii won't seek re-election

HONOLULU (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii announced Wednesday he won't run for re-election next year after 22 years in the Senate.

By Alex Brandon, AP

The 86-year-old Akaka becomes the seventh recent senator to announce plans to retire. He didn't expand on why he made the decision.

"It was a very difficult decision for me. However, I feel that the end of this Congress is the right time for me to step aside," Akaka said in a statement. "I have always strived to serve the people with much love and aloha."

Akaka suffered a major defeat in December when he failed to get a full Senate vote on legislation granting Native Hawaiians the right to form their own government. The measure, known as the Akaka bill, had been the senator's priority for the last 11 years, but its progress has stalled indefinitely.

Then last week, Hawaii's other senator —Daniel Inouye— said he wouldn't be able to provide Akaka the financial support he has in the past.

Inouye, a powerful force in Democratic circles, gave $300,000 to the national Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2006 to help Akaka defeat a rival for the party nomination, former U.S. Rep. Ed Case.

Akaka previously had said he intended to run in 2012, but he had just $66,000 in cash on hand at the end of the year, far short of the amount he'd likely need to mount a successful campaign.

"We must never forget that we, as political leaders, work for the people of Hawaii and not the special interests," Akaka said in the statement.

Democrats hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, including two independents who side with them. But they must defend 21 of the 33 seats on the ballot next year, and face a struggle to retain control.

Former Republican Gov. Linda Lingle has said she would consider running for Senate in 2012 after she left office in December.

Inouye said last week that likely Democrats to compete for the job include Case, former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2 ... kaka_N.htm