Republican state representative announces run against Schatz for US Senate

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Longtime state Rep. Bob McDermott announced Tuesday that he’s running for U.S. Senate.

The Republican from Ewa Beach plans to take on Democratic incumbent Brian Schatz.

McDermott has been outspoken about the Navy water crisis.

He said one of the main reasons for running is that he wants a complete shutdown of the military’s Red Hill facility within a year.

In a press release announcement, he said the current congressional delegation is “satisfied” that the Navy is complying with the state Department of Health’s order to suspend operations and drain the tanks.

“This is not a permanent shutdown nor a decommissioning of the facility; it is simply a delaying tactic with a fuzzy timeline presented,” McDermott’s announcement said. “Conversely, McDermott’s decommissioning plan requires congressional action to direct the DOD to shut it down. As the senior member of the Senate, Schatz has been unable or unwilling to get this done.”

McDermott also pledged to find solutions to high gas prices, inflation and more.

McDermott, a former Marine officer who served in the Gulf War, is a 16-year veteran in the state House of Representatives.

Hawaii’s primary election is Aug. 13.

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