SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Bob Hogue, a GOP candidate for the 2nd Congressional District, and supporters cheered last night in his Kailua headquarters.
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Hogue keeps slight edge on GOP side
State Sen. Bob Hogue took an early lead in the GOP primary in the 2nd Congressional District last night and held on by the slimmest of margins to defeat former state Rep. Quentin Kawananakoa.
After the third printout from Saturday’s GOP primary, Hogue held a 199 vote edge, about 1.1 percent, over Kawananakoa. The results included all votes except for the electronic votes from one precinct.
He now goes to the Nov. 7 general election where he faces former Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono, who edged state Sen. Colleen Hanabusa for the Democratic nomination to succeed Ed Case in Congress.
Hogue, who has been a member of the state Senate since 2000, led after each of the first two printouts in a race that was expected to last until the very end.
Kawananakoa, who served in the state House from 1994-98, had been counting on the efforts of his last two weeks of campaigning, which he described as being "very intense."
"It's going to be a long night," Kawananakoa had told reporters after he arrived at his Kailua campaign headquarters with his wife, Liz, and their two sons, Kincaid and Riley.
"I am always optimistic," said Kawananakoa, who withdrew from his last race for the U.S. House several years ago.
Repeatedly describing himself as "an optimist" to reporters, Kawananakoa added: "No matter what happens tonight and this race, this is my home."
The two GOP candidates themselves had voted early; Kawananakoa, 43, voted Thursday at Honolulu Hale with his wife. Hogue, who voted a week ago at Windward Mall, said he spent primary election day "just relaxing" at his Kalaheo home.
"I am very optimistic,” Hogue, 53, told his supporters at his Uluniu Street campaign headquarters, below Eastside Tattoo Studio.
He and his wife, Elaine, arrived just after 6:30 p.m. and greeted more than two dozen supporters, some of whom were gathered at a popcorn machine located outside the Kailua town storefront headquarters.
Several blocks away on Hamakua Drive, nearly 100 Kawananakoa supporters gathered under two large yellow-and-white tents.
Kawananakoa also spent the day relaxing with his family, taking in a soccer game played by 9-year-old son Kincaid.
He also spent several hours walking through Kailua town reminding his supporters and others to vote. After a dinner of scrambled eggs with his sons and wife, Kawananakoa watched the returns at his home before being chauffeured to his campaign headquarters.