After my column and blog item yesterday on the 2012 U.S. Senate race to replace the retiring Daniel Akaka, a couple of people wondered why I didn’t include state Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, who has announced an exploratory committee, among the major Democrats looking at the race.
No disrespect to Kim was intended, but at this point it’s hard to see her contending against the other interested Democrats with experience in statewide races — Ed Case, Colleen Hanabusa, Mazie Hirono, Mufi Hannemann and Brian Schatz.
The recent SMS poll showed her barely registering a blip with only 3 percent voter support and light name recognition.
Besides, I’m not convinced Kim is seriously interested in running for the U.S. Senate. My guess is that her real interest is one of the U.S. House seats, where Kim would be a serious contender, if Hanabusa and/or Hirono go for the Senate.
With no House seat currently open, the easiest way to form a federal campaign committee and start getting her name out there is to do it for the open Senate seat and switch to the House later if the opportunity arises.
This is only speculation, of course, and I’m open to being corrected if somebody in the know tells me I’m wrong.
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