State Sen. Russell Ruderman of Puna announced Wednesday he would not seek a third term.
“I want to thank each of you for your support over these last eight years,” Ruderman wrote in a post on the “Friends of Russell Ruderman” Facebook page. “Serving Puna and Ka‘u in the state Legislature has been one of the great honors of my life. The reasons include personal, health and political.”
In the post, Ruderman thanked supporters, staff and his campaign team.
“I’m proud of what we have accomplished together,” he wrote. “We represented our community with an honest, independent voice working towards responsiveness and integrity in our government. Our community deserves this and strongly supported me in this commitment.“While some projects remain unfinished, I will remain involved and hope to see them through,” Ruderman continued. “I will also be involved in other efforts, some to be announced soon, and I hope to make much more of a contribution to our community in these other ways.”
Ruderman, a Democrat and owner of Island Naturals, was first elected to the 2nd District seat in 2012.