Back in March, in the middle of the 2018 legislative session, the leaders of both House and Senate took the unusual step of publicly endorsing Governor David Ige’s primary opponent, U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa.

Beyond that endorsement, they lent their names for use in fundraising, and may have done some direct fundraising as well. And they didn’t use polite language in their attacks on Ige, accusing him of “inattention, indecision and inaction.”

As Civil Beat reported at the time:

Senate President Ron Kouchi, House Speaker Scott Saiki, Senate Ways and Means Chair Donovan Dela Cruz and House Finance Committee Chair Sylvia Luke signed a fundraising letter on Hanabusa campaign letterhead criticizing Ige for his leadership of Hawaii and seeking support for Hanabusa. Their titles appear prominently at the bottom of the letter.

Fast forward to the August primary, where Ige overcame the political odds to win the Democratic nomination and, in all likelihood, another 4-year term in the state’s top office.

Come January, it’s most likely that the legislative leaders, which took an aggressive united stand against Ige’s candidacy, will also retain their positions of power.

So what’s the likely fallout of this election season? What’s your take on how or whether the campaign conflicts will impact the policy process in the next legislative session? How will it play out for the governor’s budget, or his policy initiatives? Has Ige’s reelection given him more clout when dealing with legislators?

Your thoughts?