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Incumbents’ For the first time since 1994, there will be Honolulu City Council races that don't include incumbents.
absence fires up
City Council races
A diverse group vies for seats
left by Donna Mercado Kim
and Mufi HannemannBy Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-BulletinThat may be one reason why the vacancies for Council district seats 7 and 8 have attracted diverse and sizeable fields of candidates.
Yesterday was the deadline to file for the seats. Four filed for the District 7 seat, seven for District 8. The winner-take-all elections will be held Sept. 23.
The race for District 7 -- from Kalihi to Halawa, including all of Moanalua and Salt Lake -- features state Rep. Romy Cachola and former state Sen. Dennis Nakasato. The seat was vacated when Donna Mercado Kim resigned to run for the state Senate.
Here are the people who've filed as candidates for the two vacant council seats: WHO'S RUNNING
District 7
Romy Cachola
District 8
Cachola, 62, has been in the House since 1984 representing Kalihi Kai to Kapalama. Nakasato, 53, was in the state Senate from 1986 to 1992 and spent six years in the House before that.
Also in the race is Steve Tataii, 50, an unemployed conflict resolution and political science instructor who has previously run unsuccessfully for the state House and Congress.
Law-book publisher Paul Swengler had filed for the seat but said he would be withdrawing today because he does not think he has the time or resources to run a viable campaign.
District 8 covers Halawa to Waipahu, including all of Aiea and Pearl City. The seat was occupied by Mufi Hannemann until he resigned to run for mayor this fall.
Retired city planner Gary Okino began his campaign early and has collected endorsements from key Council members and community leaders. Okino has been a leader in the Aiea-Pearl City Vision Team and been involved in other community projects.
Another candidate is Richard Nono, 33, a former legislative aide to Hannemann. The Waipahu resident now runs an Internet-based sales company.
Also in the race is former Hawaii Libertarian Party chairman Dick Rowland, 70, an agent with Northwestern Mutual Financial Services. An unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate twice, he is also the legislative and public affairs committee chairman of the Aiea-Pearl City Business Association.
Carlota Ader, 51, is another candidate. The Waipahu resident is a medical technologist for Waianae Comprehensive Health Care Facility and the Spark Matsunaga Medical Center. She writes for the Hawaii Filipino Council and the FilAm Courier.
Other contenders who could not be reached by the Star-Bulletin yesterday are: Ligaya Dela Cruz of Pearl City; Walter Paderes of Pearl City; and Darrell Young of Aiea.
City & County of Honolulu
