Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.

Military, wealthy
help Bush win 7%
of isle precincts

Bush's local campaign
chairwoman called the
numbers disappointing

---

By Richard Borreca
Star-Bulletin

Texas Gov. George W. Bush won only 25 of 336 precincts in Tuesday's presidential election in Hawaii.

He was most popular in military areas or wealthy districts.

For instance, Bush beat Vice President Al Gore in the precincts including the Kaneohe, Hickam, and Barbers Point military installations.

Bush also won in isolated pockets elsewhere on Oahu, including parts of Black Point, Kahala and Hawaii Kai.

On the neighbor islands, Bush won Kihei on Maui and three precincts along the Kona Coast

All the precincts were districts won two years ago by Linda Lingle in her unsuccessful race for governor.

In all, Bush only won 7 percent of the precincts. In terms of the popular vote, Bush gathered only 137,811 votes, compared to the 205,253 won by Gore.

Yesterday, Walter Heen, Democratic Party chairman, called the precinct breakdown "not a complete surprise."

He speculates that persons moving to Hawaii from the mainland may vote for Democrats on a national level, but jump parties and vote Republican in local races.

"That's the feeling I get moving around the state, especially the Neighbor Islands," Heen said.

Republican Barbara Marumoto, who ran the local Bush campaign, said the numbers were disappointing.

"Of course getting the military areas is not unexpected, but, I thought we would have done better," she said. "It was disappointing."