HONOLULU CITY COUNCIL

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Russ Francis receives a congratulatory handshake from
opponent Kekoa Kaapu Saturday night. Kaapu said he will support
Francis in his bid to unseat District 5's incumbent Andy Mirikitani.

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Council hopefuls need
primary opponents’ help

Melodie Aduja and Russ Francis
face well-known incumbents
in the runoff

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

Two newcomers facing runoffs for Honolulu City Council seats are banking on votes that went to losing opponents to put them over the top come November.

In District 5 (Manoa-Makiki), former professional football player Russ Francis has already received the backing of third-place finisher Kekoa Kaapu in his bid to unseat incumbent Andy Mirikitani.

"Kekoa came (to Francis headquarters) and congratulated me and said, 'I will support you in any way possible,' " Francis said.

Mirikitani finished with the support of about 48 percent of votes cast. Francis got 40 percent and Kaapu received 12 percent.

Under the Council's nonpartisan election system, a person who finishes with more than 50 percent of votes cast wins outright; otherwise, the top two vote-getters head for a runoff in the general.

Francis, 45, is sports tourism coordinator for the state. He said he can do a better job promoting business than Mirikitani.

Mirikitani, a 42-year-old attorney, could not be reached for comment after the primary.

In the Council's second district (Kaneohe, Windward Coast), Melodie Aduja said she'll also be courting those who voted for two other candidates who lost against incumbent Steve Holmes.

Holmes got 41.3 percent of votes cast while Aduja garnered 23.3 percent. Aduja wants to draw from supporters of Danny Smith and Tom Pico Jr., who received 10.3 percent and 9.3 percent, respectively. The remainder of the votes were blank.

Aduja, 38, said her views are more in line with Smith's and Pico's than Holmes' are. A tax attorney, she said she can successfully counter Holmes' reputation as an environmentalist with a sprinkling of business sense.

Holmes, in response, said another opponent tried unsuccessfully to beat him four years ago by drawing from the supporters of other candidates.

Holmes, 47, also believes Aduja has understated his support from businesses and rips her proposal for a flat tax as "pretty hair-brained."

In District 2, businessman and union official Cliff Laboy gave incumbent Rene Mansho a challenge but fell short of pulling her into a runoff.

Both stayed up until the early morning hours yesterday awaiting final results. Mansho ended up with 53 percent of the vote while Laboy had 33.1 percent.

Incumbents John DeSoto and Duke Bainum cruised to easy victories to retain their seats.

Four other incumbents ran uncontested and were re-elected: John Henry Felix, Mufi Hannemann, Donna Mercado Kim and Jon Yoshimura.

If both Holmes and Mirikitani are re-elected on Nov. 3, returning all incumbents, it would ensure an all-new City Council lineup in the year 2002. That's because a new city law bars Council members from serving more than two consecutive terms.

Mirikitani shuns all publicity after primary Where was Andy? Despite the attempts of reporters and photographers to find District 5 Councilman Andy Mirikitani, the Makiki-Manoa incumbent remained out of sight Saturday night. Initial reports had Mirikitani spending the evening at his father's home in Kahala. Dr. Carl Mirikitani told the Star-Bulletin he was expecting his son between 7 and 9 p.m. Subsequent calls to the home were met with busy signals or no responses. A photographer showing up was told the councilman wasn't there. Challenger Russ Francis, meanwhile, was anything but invisible on election night. He and supporters whooped it up at their campaign headquarters at the former Varsity Avenue branch of First Hawaiian Bank. Council aspirants hold variety of celebrations Other Council candidates spent election night in different ways. Councilman Steve Holmes and supporters gathered at the Kaneohe home of supporter Mary Protheroe while second-place finisher Melodie Williams Aduja held a party at her home in Kaneohe. Councilwoman Rene Mansho's forces were gathered at her office at the Mililani Town Center while opponent Cliff Laboy's troops collected at his home. Both stayed up until the wee morning hours Sunday, waiting to see if Laboy could force a runoff. Councilman Duke Bainum and supporters partied at the yet-unopened Zippy's in Kahala while opponent Sam Bren spent the night at home. Councilman John DeSoto had a party at the Kapolei Golf Course. Four unopposed Council members mark victory Four City Council members didn't face opposition in the primary election, meaning they were assured of re-election. But that didn't mean they spent a quiet night at home. Councilman John Henry Felix held a party for supporters at the Prince Kuhio Outrigger Hotel while Council Chairman Mufi Hannemann was with friends at the Honolulu Country Club. Councilwoman Donna Mercado Kim gathered with supporters at her home in Moanalua while Jon Yoshimura hung out with supporters at his headquarters across from the Honolulu Police Department on South Beretania Street. UH reporter interviews anti-GOP John Q. Public University of Hawaii Ka Leo reporter Julius Tigno had an encounter primary election night with a man who identified himself as "John Q. Public." "He said he doesn't agree with what (GOP gubernatorial candidate Linda) Lingle is saying," Tigno said. He met J.Q. Public in U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie's campaign headquarters. Tigno had been assigned to do a class paper on some aspect of the election. Tigno questioned the Democratic congressman about education, benefits for World War II Filipino veterans and economic issues.