(BIVN) – Attorney General Doug Chin has been named Hawaii’s new Lieutenant Governor today, following the sudden resignation of former Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui.

Tsutsui left the office on January 31, and other public officials in the order of succession declined the office. Chin’s appointment is by operation of law, the AG’s office says:

Hawaii law provides for an orderly succession in the event of a vacancy of the office of Lieutenant Governor. Upon Tsutsui’s resignation as Lieutenant Governor, Chin was third in the line of succession after state Senate President Ron Kouchi and Speaker of the House of Representatives Scott Saiki. Kouchi and Saiki each declined the position earlier this week.

Governor David Ige has appointed First Deputy Attorney General Russell Suzuki to serve as Acting Attorney General. The appointment can last no longer than 60 days, according to law. The next attorney general must be appointed and confirmed by the Senate, the AG’s office says, to serve during the remainder of the Governor’s current term. Suzuki has been a Deputy Attorney General for 36 years, and has served as First Deputy Attorney General under Attorneys General Mark Bennett, David Louie, and Chin.

The Governor has appointed First Deputy Attorney General Russell Suzuki to serve as Acting Attorney General. By law this appointment can last no longer than 60 days. The next attorney general must be appointed and confirmed by the Senate, to serve during the remainder of the Governor’s current term. Suzuki has been a Deputy Attorney General for 36 years, and has served as First Deputy Attorney General under Attorneys General Mark Bennett, David Louie, and Chin.

Chin had originally planned to resign as Attorney General by March 15 to begin full-time campaigning for the 1st Congressional District seat representing urban Honolulu. That is the seat being vacated by Rep. Colleen Hanabusa as she seeks the governor’s seat.

According to the AG’s office, Chin was nominated by Governor Ige to become Attorney General in 2015 and unanimously confirmed by the state Senate on March 12, 2015. From August 1, 2016 to the present, Chin served on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Attorneys General. On October 28, 2017, the Hawaii State Bar Association awarded Chin the “Champion for Social Justice Award” at its annual convention.