The congressman has told colleagues he plans to run for governor, according to someone close to him. The source said Kahele would announce his political future in early May.
Punchbowl News first announced that Kahele would leave Congress to run for governor.
The new congressman, who has not yet issued an official resignation statement, was elected in 2020 to replace Democratic MP Tulsi Gabard. He was a pilot before running for office.
Kahele has recently been criticized for his part-time work as a commercial pilot for Hawaiian Airlines, raising questions about whether he is violating any ethical rules in order to continue working with the airline.
Questions about Kahele’s work with Hawaiian Airlines arose after the Honolulu Civil Beat published an in-depth story looking at his presence in the Capitol this year and his personal income since taking office. The report found that Kahele had voted through a proxy at least 120 times since the beginning of the year, which means that another MP voted for him.
The congressman defended the agreement, saying it was in line with the House’s ethics rules. His office also explained that he had not voted in person since January because he was worried about new variants of the coronavirus and had lived in a family home for several generations. But his office told him he remained committed to his work in the District of Columbia.
Kahele joins more than 40 members of the House who have announced they will leave at the end of their term.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Sean Misel contributed to this report.
Add Comment