A former Puna councilman is ready to throw his hat in the ring again — it’s just a matter of which ring.
Fred Blas has filed to run for two offices, Council District 4, which covers eastern Puna and is currently represented by Greggor Ilagan, and House District 4, also in Puna, currently represented by Faye Hanohano.
Ilagan defeated Blas in 2012.
Blas said Thursday he isn’t leaning toward one office in particular yet. He said he expects to make a decision in the next two to three months. In the time since he left office, Blas said he has been traveling to and from the mainland visiting family. He said he feels ready to return to public service.
“I’m all for the community,” he said. “I got a lot of calls saying I should run again.”
Blas said he sees several issues as major ones for the district. Number one is the need for an evacuation route for the district.
He would also like to see more technical classes offered for students in Puna. He said students need to learn fundamentals, such as math and science, on which technical programs could build.
In the 2012 election, Blas had bested Ilagan by 135 votes in a three-way primary, but didn’t get the required 50 percent plus one vote to win the seat outright. Ilagan won the General Election by a wide margin. Blas is from Guam and has lived in Hawaii for 14 years. He’s a retired business manager who studied business administration at Long Beach (Calif.) City College.
Hanohano has come under scrutiny recently, facing allegations of racially discriminatory behavior.