State Labor Director Darwin Ching said that he will resign June 15 to run for city prosecutor.

Ching was a deputy prosecutor from 1981 to 1988.

Already in the Honolulu prosecutor's race is Franklin "Don" Pacarro Jr., a senior deputy prosecuting attorney and trials division chief.

There technically is not an open position. City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle's current term runs out in 2012. But Carlisle announced last July he will run for mayor if Mayor Mufi Hannemann resigns as expected this year to run for governor.

The mayor is expected to formally announce his race for governor in the next few days.

Deputy Director Pearl Imada Iboshi will be named the new labor director, Gov. Linda Lingle's office said.