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Inouye said last week that Democrats likely to compete for Akaka's seat include Case, former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz. Akaka served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for 14 years before winning the Senate seat in 1990. His retirement breaks up the chamber's most senior delegation that used its power to bring billions of federal dollars to the tiny islands. Inouye, also 86, is the longest-serving living senator, having arrived in the Senate in 1963. Akaka isn't suffering from any health issues -- he's retiring to spend time with his wife, daughter and four sons in Hawaii, spokesman Jesse Broder Van Dyke said. "He would have run a very competitive campaign, but it would have been painful in that it's not fun to fundraise, to campaign, to give speeches," Broder Van Dyke said. "He certainly could have done it, but at the end of the day, he's served the state of Hawaii for over three decades, and he definitely deserves this opportunity to enjoy his work." Akaka said he would like to spend time documenting his life and career and serving as a mentor to future political leaders. "I have always strived to serve the people with much love and aloha, never forgetting my humble beginnings," he said in the statement. "And it is my hope that they, too, will continue this tradition."
[Associated
Press;
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