Tsuruda later acknowledged, however, he doesn't particularly care for Abercrombie, seeing the Democratic lawmaker as being too liberal.

But Tsuruda was more critical of Georgia native Orson Swindle, who has launched his second consecutive campaign for Abercrombie's seat.

"He (Swindle) hasn't done anything," Tsuruda said. "I can't see him just jumping into the U.S. Congress. He has to go through the steps. He has to be involved in island politics first."

If Republicans were offering a candidate whose resume included service on an isle county council or in the state Legislature, as Abercrombie's does, he wouldn't be leaning toward the incumbent, said Tsuruda, who is not a registered party member but who considers himself a conservative Democrat.

According to the latest Star-Bulletin Poll, 42 percent of the registered voters in the 1st Congressional District (urban Honolulu) view Abercrombie favorably, compared with 27 percent for Swindle.

Abercrombie is seen unfavorably by 33 percent; 23 percent perceive Swindle negatively.

Twenty-four percent were neutral on Abercrombie, compared with 36 percent for Swindle.

The telephone survey of 304 registered voters in the district was conducted July 11-15 by Mason-Dixon Political/Media Research Inc. of Columbia, Md. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points.

The latest survey shows that the electorate's perception of Abercrombie and Swindle remains about the same as in a Star-Bulletin Poll taken Oct 27-30, 1994, during the final stretch of the '94 campaign.

Men tend to have a more favorable impression of Swindle, while women tend to see Abercrombie more favorably, according to the recent Star-Bulletin Poll.

Cindy Geiger, 47, a physical therapist from Hawaii Kai who has lived in Hawaii 22 years, favors Swindle because he more closely mirrors her views favoring lower taxes, less government, family values and opposition to abortion.

She's the philosophical opposite of Abercrombie, said Geiger, who last year joined the Republican Party, although for years she's been "pretty much" casting her ballots for Republicans.

Yukue Noguchi, 79, a retired sewing machine saleswoman from Moiliili, said she intends to vote for Swindle again.

"There are too many Democrats in Hawaii. Too many of them are liberal," Noguchi said. She was once a Democrat, but now considers herself an Independent.