Finalists for Maui House Seat: Buchanan, DeCoite & De Naie

Mele Carroll. Courtesy photo.

By Maui Now Staff

The Maui County Democratic Party’s Council Nominating Committee today narrowed the list of candidates for the vacant District 13 House seat to three finalists today.

The finalists include Lori Buchanan of Molokaʻi, Lynn DeCoite of Molokai, and Lucienne De Naie of Huelo on Maui.

The three were among a list of 13 candidates that were being considered for the post vacated by District 13 Rep. Mele Carroll, who resigned on Feb. 1, 2015, due to her health and complications with previous cancer treatments.

“I am extremely impressed with the three applicants that we forwarded to the governor for consideration,” said Emillia Noordhoek, District 13 Council Vice-Chair in a press release statement.

Noordhoek, who ran the proceedings, continued saying, “All were well-qualified, thoughtful and I know we can be proud to call one of them our representative. I appreciate their willingness to step-up and serve in this important role.”

The individual selected with represent the area that includes Pā‘ia, Ha‘ikū, East Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i and Kaho‘olawe.

The Council Nominating Committee released the following background information on the finalists:

Lori Buchanan: of Molokaʻi who is a field outreach coordinator for the Molokaʻi/Maui Invasive Species Committee and the co-owner of Molokaʻi Security Service. She serves as a member of the Molokaʻi Planning Commission and a member of the Marine and Coastal Zone Advisory Council. She also serves as a commissioner for the Legacy Lands Conversation Commission.

Lynn DeCoite: of Molokaʻi is the owner of L&R Farm Enterprises and R.J. Snacks. She serves as a board member of the State Board of Agriculture and is the president of the Molokaʻi Homestead Farmer’s Alliance. She is a previous member of the Molokaʻi Planning Commission and a graduate of Molokaʻi High School.

Lucienne De Naie: of Huelo is self-employed consultant. She serves as the secretary of the Ha‘ikū Community Association and is a member of the Maui Cultural Lands Advisory Board. She is a founding board member of the Ha‘ikū Living Legacy Project and a co-founder of the Ha‘ikū Living Legacy Project. She is a graduate of UC Irvine and UCLA.

“I want to thank the District 13 Council for their hard work and diligence in considering all applicants,” said Troy Hashimoto, Chair of the Maui County Democratic Party in a statement.

“The Maui County Democratic Party looks forward to working with the governors selection to help move our Democratic values forward at the state legislature,” he said.

Other applicants that were considered included: Shay Chan Hodges of Ha‘ikū, Scott Crawford of Hāna, Alberta De Jetley of Lāna‘i, David Fry of Ha‘ikū, Barbara Haliniak of Moloka‘i, Netra Halperin of Ha‘ikū, Lance Holter of Pā‘ia, Robert Parsons of Ha‘ikū, Kay Okamoto of Lāna‘i and Noelani Yamshita of Moloka‘i.

“It is my hope that the governor will make a decision on the replacement sooner than later, so that one of the most unique districts, the 13th District, can once again have representation in the State House. It is an especially important time, as many bills are being actively considered,” said Hashimoto.