Gov. David Ige has two extra days to nominate someone else to head the Department of Land and Natural Resources and appoint people to fill empty seats on state boards and commissions.

The deadline was Monday for the governor to make any remaining appointments that require Senate confirmation in order for lawmakers to consider them before session ends May 7. But the Senate has extended the deadline until the close of business Wednesday.

“I thank the Senate for understanding the magnitude of this task,” Ige said in a release Monday afternoon. “We have hundreds of positions to fill, and we have made significant progress. We expect to fill the majority of the positions in the next two days.”

Gov. David Ige answers a question during a Civil Beat editorial board meeting last week.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

The most significant outstanding appointment is the DLNR post in his Cabinet.

Ige withdrew his nomination of Carleton Ching to head the department on March 18 after significant public outcry. The Senate never voted on the confirmation but the governor believed there was insufficient support.

If Ige doesn’t pick someone else to lead DLNR by Wednesday, Carty Ching, the interim chair, will steer the department until a nominee can be confirmed during next year’s legislative session or possibly a special session during the interim.

Ige told Civil Beat last week that he would prefer to take the time to find a quality candidate to head DLNR but was very much aware of the deadline to get that person confirmed this session.

Other Cabinet-level positions have met little-to-no opposition in the Senate. Indeed, lawmakers have heralded most of Ige’s appointments.

Another big seat the governor has yet to fill is the director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Ige had picked Elizabeth Kim in January but had to withdraw the nomination because she didn’t meet certain residency restrictions after working most recently in Washington, D.C. She’s now his special adviser.