When Takai decided not to seek re-election, he said: "I had envisioned a long career in the U.S. House of Representatives, building up the seniority and influence that were key to Sen. (Daniel) Inouye’s ability to deliver for Hawaii. But as often happens, we find ourselves on a different journey than what we had planned... putting Hawaii and its people first means that I must regretfully withdraw from my 2016 re-election race for Congress and suspend my campaign." Takai had served in the state Legislature for 20 years before winning his campaign for Representative. He was an Iraq war veteran and a lieutenant colonel in the Hawaii National Guard. (Facebook/Mark Takai)