Peter Carlisle and wife, Judy, exult in the outcome of the
second readout at his campaign headquarters last night.
Photo by Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin

"Mass resignations and mass firings would be depleting the office of valuable experience and resources that are already there," said Peter Carlisle as he outlined his planned first steps as city prosecutor.

"Step one is: We've got to take a look at the legislative package coming up. We've got to take a look at the way we do business in the juvenile crime system immediately." A Carlisle campaign position called for juvenile criminals to be tried as adults the third time they're charged.

"I think it is important to lead by example. That means supporting your people in court, and going down to court yourself," said Carlisle, whose post-primary campaign stressed his courtroom experience.

He said there will be changes in the office organization but first "I have to see exactly how the office is organized now, what works and what doesn't work. I have to get well-acquainted with the people who are there, with the methods they are using now, and compare them to the methods that were successful before and see whether there is any justification for the changes. If there's not, then go to a system that has been successful before."

Carlisle, a partner in Shim Tam & Chang law firm, was a deputy prosecutor for 10 years and headed the felony trials division under Charles Marsland. He was one of 12 deputies forced to resign when Keith Kaneshiro defeated Marsland eight years ago.

He credited his victory - after trailing Arakawa by nearly 28,000 votes in the special election - on the televised debates, which gave voters "an opportunity to compare us seriously," and on newspaper endorsements "which came at just the right time."

He also credited the professional campaign help he got after the primary. Keith Rollman, vice president of MM&M, said his company's advice was to "redefine the race by redefining the job," concentrating on the message that Carlisle would be a tougher courtroom prosecutor.

Former deputy prosecutors and other lawyers were numerous among the 100-plus supporters last night in the back rooms of Carlisle's celebratory Kakaako site, the Meeting Place Cafe.

The independent candidate's campaign was staffed by what he called "a small group of political outsiders" - neighbors, friends and some fellow attorneys - with his law office serving as campaign headquarters. One exception was former Democratic legislator T. C. Yim, described by supporter Jim Fulton as the general of the sign-waving forces.

Election eve followed the same independent theme, with the feeling of a neighborhood patio party swarming with children including the Carlisles' Aspen, 11, and Benson, 8.

Carlisle gave forceful and focused television interviews throughout the evening, but his mother, Betty Carlisle, visiting from New Jersey, confided "he's very nervous."

After his lead grew with the second printout, a few other faces from the political arena were seen including Don Clegg of the Jeremy Harris team and Randal Yoshida, who was edged out of the three-way race in the primary.Judy Carlisle said the kids would stay home from school today and the family would spend time together, "probably cleaning house. We haven't had time at home in weeks."

David Arakawa gets a hug at his campagin headquarters,
the now-closed Arakawa's plantation store.
Photo by Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin

Without money to counter a media blitz from Peter Carlisle in the final weeks leading to the general election, those issues went unchallenged and may have swayed a large number of undecided voters in a close race.

"Peter got (matching funds) from the state and got out with his message," said outgoing Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro, who endorsed Arakawa. "His ads were effective.

"What Peter pounded in his message was trial experience and, although it's not the only factor in being a prosecutor, it went uncontested," he added.

"Endorsements can only go so far, so it comes down to the candidate getting his message out.

"David wasn't able to get his message out and let the people know why they should vote for him."

Dennis Enomoto, Arakawa's campaign coordinator, was surprised that Carlisle had the resources to pull off a media blitz at the end.

"We didn't think he had the money for it," Enomoto said. "It seems like the voters bought into a lot of his ads.

"He emphasized that the endorsements David got were politically motivated and, although it's not true, Carlisle created a block by saying strings were attached to endorsements," he added. "It was an effective strategy for him."

"With respect to public funds, we didn't apply for it because, as first-time campaigners, we were naive and felt we could do it through grass roots," Arakawa said. "Looking back in retrospect, I would apply for matching funds.

"I think we could have done a better job of talking about my experience and the quality of experience," he added. "There were a lot of statements from my opponent made without hard facts, but I felt the public would see through that." From the first printout, Arakawa steadily lost ground.

"It looks like I kept my numbers," Arakawa said, referring to the 86,744 votes he polled in leading the special-election race in September, "so the undecided voters were a big factor in this one."

Arakawa plans to return to his private law practice and is looking forward to coaching his children's sports teams.

"The one thing I've learned about life," he said, "is that there's always going to be ups and downs.

"You have to be able to deal with both," he said.

"For me, it's been worth it because I think we touched a lot of people. The thing I enjoyed best is that we had the opportunity to talk with them, not at them."