Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin announced Friday that he will step down to serve as lieutenant governor in place of Shan Tsutsui, who resigned this week to join a political strategy firm.

Chin, who is also running for Congress, was third on the succession list after Senate President Ron Kouchi and House Speaker Scott Saiki, who both declined the offer.

“Public service is a privilege. This was not my plan, but it is the order of succession and I am answering a call to serve,” Chin said in a statement early Friday morning. “In 18 years, I have been a prosecutor and the Managing Director for the City and County of Honolulu, and Hawaii Attorney General. Each opportunity has shown me how important and valuable the people of Hawaii are, and how critical it is for our leaders to find solutions and preserve Hawaii’s values.”

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Chin is running to replace Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, who represents urban Oahu in Congress. She is leaving Washington for a bid for governor.

Tsutsui announced Monday that he would be stepping down Wednesday to join Strategies 360, a public affairs, strategic communications and research firm.

State Sens. Jill Tokuda, Will Espero and Josh Green along with Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and former Board of Education member Kim Coco Iwamoto are running for lieutenant governor in the upcoming election. They’ll compete in the Democratic primary in August.

Update: On Friday morning, Gov. David Ige appointed First Deputy Attorney General Russell Suzuki to serve as acting attorney general.

By law the 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,” according to a press release from the governor’s office. “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.”