By George F. Lee, Star-bulletin
After the second printout confirmed Bob Nakata's lead over
Terrance Tom, supporters at Nakata's Kaneohe headquarters
on Saturday night celebrate.
LEGISLATURE
Democrats hear
wake-up call
Party leadership ready
By Pat Omandam
to focus on unity
Star-BulletinSenate President Norman Mizuguchi and Sen. Randall Iwase, publicly putting aside differences over leadership, say the Democratic Party has heard the wake-up call from Republicans and intends to answer the alarm.
Mizuguchi (D, Aiea) and Iwase (D, Mililani), leader of the chamber's dissident bi-partisan faction challenging Mizuguchi's leadership, say they must focus on the general election before any talk can begin on reorganization.
Both men yesterday analyzed the defeat of five incumbent senators as well as several close races in the Senate and the House.
"The priority is unity in the party and getting majority members elected," Mizuguchi said.
By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Jo-Anna Nakata has words of encouragement for her husband,
senatorial candidate Bob Nakata, moments before the second
printout that would confirm his lead.
Falling to party challengers Saturday were Sens. Rosalyn Baker (West Maui) to Jan (Yagi) Buen; Wayne Metcalf (South Hilo-Puna) to David Matsuura; James Aki (Nanakuli) to Colleen Hanabusa; Lehua Fernandes Salling (South Kauai-Niihau) to Jonathan J. Chun; and Malama Solomon (North Hilo-S. Kohala) to Lorraine R. Inouye.Mizuguchi's 15-member majority in the 25-member Senate had included Baker, co-chairwoman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, while Metcalf served as co-chairman of Consumer Protection Committee.
Mizuguchi said the people who defeated the incumbents this year had strong name recognition as past politicians or county executives. For example, Solomon lost to Inouye, a former Big Island mayor; and Metcalf lost to Matsuura, the son of the late Sen. Richard Matsuura, whom Metcalf succeeded last year after the ailing Matsuura resigned.
Iwase, whose 10-member dissident faction had included Solomon, Fernandes Salling and Aki, said he was surprised at the results, including the near misses by Democratic challenger Audrey Hidano to unseat Sen. Rod Tam (D, Nuuanu) and former Sen. Gerry Hagino to unseat Sen. Robert Bunda (D, Wahiawa).
"Obviously, in the case of Aki and Malama, they were targeted by unions, and so perhaps in that regard, you can talk about what happened to them," Iwase said.
Chun, a Kauai County deputy attorney for the past six years, said he knew from the start his campaign against Fernandes Salling would be an uphill battle because he was fighting a "political machine that's been on this island for decades."
Chun faces Republican Robert Measel Jr. in November.
On Maui, Baker criticized the campaign tactics used against her in the Democratic primary and the appearance of a flier saying she supported same-sex marriages. Buen, daughter of the late ILWU official Tommy Yagi, said she was unaware of the mail-out.
Buen has received backing from some veteran Democrats, including retired Maui state Sen. Mamoru Yamasaki. She faces Republican John Corboy in the general election. Corboy, an eye surgeon who owns Hawaiian Eye Center and Corboy Properties, says government should be run like a business and is aligning himself with the Lingle campaign.
On the Big Island, Solomon said she found herself swept up in a tide that left her in third place, behind Inouye and physician Fred Holschuh.
"I just got caught up in the wave," she said. "You know, the anti-incumbent wave."
Inouye now goes against Republican John S. Carroll and Natural Law candidate Kelly Greenwell on Nov. 3.
By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
A dejected Terrance Tom and his wife and campaign
manager, Penny, watch the election results Saturday night.
In the Hilo Senate seat, businessman Matsuura viewed his win over Metcalf as another sign of the end of business as usual. Like his father, who died of cancer last year, Matsuura expects to be in a "dissident" group of Democrats in the Senate, which he hopes will become a new majority. That's if he gets past Republican Denise Walker in the general election.Other Senate races in November pit Sen. Avery B. Chumbley (D, East Maui-North Kauai) against Republican Richard Lafond and Libertarian Michael M. Dyer; Tam against Republican Cindy Rasmussen; and Hanabusa against Republican Dickyj Johnson.
Also, Democrat Bob Nakata -- who bested a prominent Democratic field including Rep. Terrance Tom for the Windward Senate seat held by retiring Sen. Mike McCartney -- will square off against Republican Joe Pickard and Libertarian Michael V. Powell.
Star-Bulletin writers Trish Moore, Gary Kubota,
Rod Thompson and Craig Gima contributed to this report.
BOE candidates 'focus on one thing at a time'
First-time Board of Education candidates Alan Matsuda and Shannon Ajifu weren't waiting at home for the election results like most other candidates.Matsuda was at the Stan Sheriff Center cheering on the Wahine volleyball team, who won three out of five against University of Pacific. He arrived home in time to learn he was the fourth top vote getter for the Oahu at-large seats, making the cut for the general election.
Wasn't he anxious to learn the results earlier? "Not at all," Matsuda said. "Gotta focus on one thing at a time."
Ajifu was at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel attending a wedding. While there, she scoured the hotel looking for a bar with a television set so she could watch the election results -- but the only area with TVs other than the hotel rooms was the employee cafeteria.
She waited until she figured some printouts were available, then went to a daughter's home to learn she'd garnered the second-highest number of votes in the at-large race.
"We were elated," Ajifu said. "Considering this was our first time running, I think it's pretty darn good."
Guard at Wahiawa polls helps disabled voters
Disabled voters in the 39th House District precinct got a break -- with some impromptu help on drive-through voting.The National Guard Armory in Wahiawa, on high-security alert because of recent terrorist acts abroad, wasn't allowing civilian vehicles through the gate.
But a Wackenhut guard at the gate assisted disabled voters with parking at the entrance. Paul Sung and other precinct officials took turns running out with poll books to ensure voters were at the right voting site and allowed them to vote in their cars.
Another good deed by Sung: He said he was donating his earnings from working the precinct to the Central Oahu Youth Services in Wahiawa, where he is on the board of directors.
Voters told to take off their shirts
At the Mililani Mauka Elementary polling site, two prospective voters were told to turn their T-shirts inside out before they could vote.Both had donned shirts emblazoned with the name of a Senate candidate in a neighboring district. Campaigning of any sort is prohibited within 200 feet of a polling site. The two complied.
'Personal feelings' keep Tam away from breakfast
A tanned but tired-looking Sen. Rod Tam says he did not attend the Democratic Party Unity Breakfast yesterday because of "personal feelings" against those Democrats who wanted him to lose his Nuuanu seat.Tam, who won by only 29 votes, said certain lawmakers hoped he would lose to challenger Audrey Hidano, a businesswoman and former Honolulu councilwoman.
Hidano, secretary-treasurer of her family-owned construction business, had worked as an aide to Sen. Norman Sakamoto and had gained the endorsement of Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris in the primary race. Hidano said she may challenge the election results.
"I know who my friends are," said Tam, co-chairman of the Senate Education Committee.
