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County Government
Honolulu race On the nine-member Honolulu City Council, the slightest change in makeup could tip the scales on some key city issues.
crucial to key issues
Primary Election 2000
By Gordon Y. K. Pang
Star-BulletinSo there is more at stake in the winner-take-all special Council elections this Saturday than who will represent districts 7 (Kalihi to Halawa, including Salt Lake and Moanalua) and 8 (Halawa to Waipahu, including Aiea and Pearl City) for the next two years.
The fate of such divisive issues as leasehold conversion, restaurant smoking bans and controversial development projects all could be determined by one or two votes, said Windward Councilman Steve Holmes, a member since 1990.
"There could be new priorities (on the Council), potentially," Holmes said. "They certainly could swing the votes."
Donna Mercado Kim resigned her District 7 seat to run for the state Senate, while Mufi Hannemann gave up his District 8 seat to challenge incumbent Jeremy Harris for mayor.
In District 7, the race features a longtime state representative in Romy Cachola, a former state senator in Dennis Nakasato, and a seasoned candidate in Steve Tataii.
Cachola, from Kalihi, who describes himself as "a full-time legislator," resigned from the House to run for the Council. He had represented Kalihi Kai to Kapalama since 1984.
Nakasato, a flight attendant who lives in Kalihi, was in the Senate from 1986 to 1992 and spent six years in the House before that.
Tataii of Kalihi is an unemployed conflict resolution and political science instructor who previously ran unsuccessfully for the state House and Congress.
In District 8, five people are hoping to succeed Kim.
Gary Okino, a city planner for 33 years who retired recently, began campaigning early and has endorsements from key Council members. The Aiea resident has been involved in various community projects.
Richard Nono, an aide for five years to Hannemann, now runs an Internet-based sales company. He lives in Waipahu.
Dick Rowland, an agent with Northwestern Mutual Financial Services, was formerly chairman of the Hawaii Libertarian Party. The Halawa Heights resident, who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate twice, is the legislative and public affairs committee chairman for the Aiea-Pearl City Business Association.
Carlota Ader, from Waipahu, is a medical technologist for the Waianae Comprehensive Health Care Facility and the Spark Matsunaga Medical Center. She writes for the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle and the Fil-Am Courier.
Ligaya Dela Cruz of Pearl City is a wireless phone dealer. She does volunteer work at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church and recently began doing production work with Olelo.
Although Darrell Young's name is on the District 8 ballot, he was allowed to withdraw for medical reasons.
