Wanted: Candidate for Congress.

Qualifications: Must be Republican, ideally living in the 2nd Congressional District — though it’s not required.

Preferred: Someone with name recognition, and money.

Contact: Hawaii Republican Party.

Deadline: Hurry, please.

The Hawaii primary election is barely six months away, yet the local GOP still hasn’t found a viable candidate.

Democrats, meanwhile, have fielded five candidates so far, two of them well-known: Mufi Hannemann, Tulsi Gabbard, Bob Marx, Esther Kiaaina and Rafael Del Castillo. They’re busy raising money and making the rounds.

Not the GOP.

“We are actively searching for one, but we haven’t found that person yet,” said GOP Chair David Chang. “As we get closer, people will pop up.”

Time Not On GOP’s Side?

Chang said that it wasn’t until March and April of 2010 that two leading candidates emerged for the CD2 race.

By primary day, John Willoughby edged out Ramsay Wharton by a mere 211 votes, with a third Republican, Antonio Gimbernat, pulling just 5.2 percent of the vote.

Willoughby was crushed in the general election by incumbent Mazie Hirono, and therein lies the biggest problem for the GOP: Wresting a seat that is still viewed by many longtime Democrats as Patsy’s seat — as in Patsy Mink, who died in office in 2002 after 24 years in office.

In fact, while Republicans have elected two candidates to represent the 1st Congressional District — Pat Saiki and Charles Djou — and one to the U.S. Senate — Hiram Fong — they have never won CD2.

Time is running out this year, especially the race to raise money.

While the CD1 race is again competitive (it’s a rematch between Djou and incumbent Colleen Hanabusa) and former Gov. Linda Lingle is attracting national attention in her Senate bid, CD2 is still seen as solidly in the “blue” camp. Barring a credible COP candidate, it will stay that way.

Feelers Out

State Sen. Sam Slom said he doesn’t think the party will find a candidate, mainly because its primary focus is on electing Lingle.

But Chang says he’s got feelers out, maybe for a candidate from Oahu’s North Shore or Kailua, both part of the rural 2nd District.

He said he didn’t think Jonah Kaauwai, a former GOP chair and Kauai native, would run, as had been rumored. Kaauwai did not immediately respond to Civil Beat’s inquiry.

However, Chang also made it clear that his party has a lot of other priorities, including the GOP’s Lincoln Day Dinner in April (not February, as is customary), the presidential caucus in March and the party convention in early summer.

There is also the matter of raising money, given the party’s financial straits.

“My job is to support any party member that runs for office,” said Chang. “Governor Lingle is running her race, and our party still has some debt. So, am I in a position to throw money at Lingle? Certainly not. She is in a better position to throw money at me than the other way around.”