LGBT Ally Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D) To Resign For Hawaii Governor Bid

Congress will lose one of its most ardent progressives this month when ten-term Rep. Neil Abercrombie resigns to run for governor of Hawaii. His unexpected announcement has raised the ire of fellow Democrats.

Leaving his office of nearly 20 years gives him more time to campaign but immediately opens the door for criticism. U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye was first to rebuke Abercrombie, saying Hawaii was losing valuable political clout. "It leaves us a vote shy in the House at a time when major policy changes like health care reform, a war spending measure, the Akaka Bill and others are shaping up for debate and passage," Inouye said in an e-mail. Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, Abercrombie's expected opponent in the 2010 Democratic primary, agreed. "He is leaving the state in a lurch. He has become a very influential member of Congress. I think he put a lot of people in a difficult situation, including the city," Hannemann said yesterday during an interview.

Abercrombie has a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign. In addition to supporting virtually all LGBT rights issues, he opposed the invasion of Iraq, voted against the Patriot Act, and supported lifting a federal ban on stem cell research. His long tenure in the House has given him senior membership on the Armed Services Committee, where he opposed the escalation of the war in Afghanistan. It's not yet known when the special election to replace him will take place, or who the likely candidates for his seat may be.