Six applicants considered for House District 39 seat vacated by Ty Cullen

The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi has received six completed applications from interested members who have met all qualifications to fill the vacant House District 39 seat, which was previously held by Ty Cullen. The House District 39 seat represents Royal Kunia, Village Park, Waipahu, Makakilo, and West Loch.

The following candidates have submitted applications and met the requirements to be considered for inclusion on the final list of three names to be transmitted to the Governor:

• Luella Costales, who works as the Community & Resource Strategy Manager for the Oahu Economic Development Board and previously served on the Honolulu Police Commission;
• Tesha Malama, the Director of Planning and Development for HCDA in Kalaeloa and current president of the James Campbell High School & Community Foundation;
• Richard Oshiro, a longtime Waipahu Neighborhood Board member who has worked for the Queen’s Health Systems and at the State Legislature;
• Inam Rahman, a medical doctor and past president of the Hawaii Medical Association;
• Corey Rosenlee, a social studies teacher at Campbell High School and former President of the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; and
• Kevin Wilson, a staffer who has worked for eight sessions at the Hawaiʻi State Legislature.

The officers of the Democratic Party’s House District 39 Council will meet on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. on Zoom to interview the applicants and vote on the three names who will be sent to the Governor. At the meeting, each eligible officer will be permitted to vote for up to three different candidates.

“We want to thank these individuals for putting their names forward at this challenging time. Each of them has expressed an interest in representing the district with integrity, ethics, and values, and in working collaboratively with community stakeholders on key issues like affordable housing, homelessness, and crime,” said Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, Chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi.

Participation and discussion in the Sunday morning Zoom meeting will be limited to the eligible district council officers. However, to foster openness and transparency, the meeting will be streamed “live” on the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hawaiidems.

Once voting is complete, a public announcement will be made about the three names that will be transmitted first to the State Party Chair, and then to the Governor, who has until Saturday, April 9, 2022 to make an appointment from the list.