The Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association on Tuesday announced its primary election endorsements. Among those getting the nod was 2nd Congressional District Democratic hopeful Mufi Hannemann. He was, of course, officially HLTA’s CEO through Monday.

“Mufi Hannemann has been a strong voice of the tourism industry during his term as president and CEO of the HLTA and was front-and-center in backing Hawaii’s number-one industry when he was Honolulu mayor and a City Councilman,” political endorsement committee chair Kelvin Bloom said in a press release. “He’s a clear choice for our organization.”

Hannemann’s main competitor, Tulsi Gabbard, highlighted the close connection between Hannemann’s campaign and his job at HLTA in a complaint to the Federal Election Commission Monday.

In the U.S. Senate race, the commitment-phobic group encouraged voters to back either Ed Case or Mazie Hirono if they’re picking up a Democratic ballot and Linda Lingle if they’re picking up a Republican one.

For mayor, HLTA says either Kirk Caldwell or Peter Carlisle would make a fine choice, noticeably leaving out Ben Cayetano.

Billy Kenoi gets the endorsement in the Big Island mayor’s race, as do four state senators and four state reps who have been particularly supportive of the tourism industry. Here’s the list of those eight lawmakers:

• Shan S. Tsutsui, Senate District 5 (Maui)
• Ronald D. Kouchi, Senate District 8 (Kauai-Niihau)
• Donna Mercado Kim, Senate District 14 (Oahu)
• David Y. Ige, Senate District 16 (Oahu)
• James K. Tokioka, Representative District 15 (Kauai)
• Calvin K.Y. Say, Representative District 20 (Oahu)
• Tom Brower, Representative District 22 (Oahu)
• Marcus R. Oshiro, Representative District 46 (Oahu)

— Michael Levine