Nonaka: I'll Pay You $1 Million if My Mom Runs for Senate

Monday's meeting of the Reapportionment Commission got a little strange. Two Big Island political rivals put on a bit of a show when one accused the other of trying to fix district boundaries to benefit himself.

Former Hawaii Republican Party leader Dylan Nonaka, who's on the commission, found himself defending himself, his mother and a former Democratic mayor against accusations of gerrymandering.

In public testimony at the meeting, Big Island Sen. Josh Green, a Democrat, accused Nonaka of carving out a new Senate district on the Big Island for himself or his mother to run in. Green also claimed that Nonaka has drawn political lines in a way that would allow former Big Island Mayor Lorraine Inouye to run for a Big Island Senate seat and not have to face an incumbent. He threatened "immediate legal action taken against those committee members who conspire to gerrymander the Big Island districts."

Green's arguments are odd considering Nonaka has always supported a plan that includes counting all residents, even though that could cost the Big Island a fourth Senate seat. On top of that, Nonaka — as with all members of the Reapportionment Commission — is banned from running for a seat in the Legislature until two elections have passed. The accusation about helping Inouye is also odd — considering she's a Democrat. Nonaka's mother did run for Hawaii County Council in 2008.

Green spoke during the public testimony portion of the hearing so the two didn't get into a public exchange. Nonaka was allowed to respond after all those testifying were heard.

Nonaka called Green's claims "egregious inaccuracies." He offered to pay Green $1 million if his mother runs for the Senate. That is, if Green would be willing to in turn pay Nonaka $1 million if she doesn't run. (Green, unfortunately, missed that offer and said he was in the bathroom at the time.)

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