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46% of voters
favor views
of Democrats

Republicans best represent
the feelings of 32 percent of
voters, a survey shows

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By Richard Borreca
Star-Bulletin

Almost half of Hawaii's voters feel the Democratic Party best reflects their views, while nearly a third think the Republican Party is closer to their opinions.

A Honolulu Star-Bulletin/NBC Hawaii News 8 poll of statewide registered voters shows that 46 percent of Hawaii's voters consider their views to be best reflected by the Democrats.

Republicans best represent the views of 32 percent of the voters, according to the poll.

Voters, however, appear to assume that the state is much more Democratic than those numbers show. In May, for instance, voters were asked if Democrats or Republicans were closer to the mainstream of Hawaii voters.

Then, two-thirds said Democrats were closer to the views of Hawaii voters, with Republicans representing only 15 percent.

But when the question was changed to ask about their own views, the number of Republican supporters doubled and the Democrats dropped.

In 1997, when the Star-Bulletin asked a similar question -- which party best represents your interests -- 48 percent answered Democrat. "It shows we have a lot of Republican and independent voters," said Linda Lingle, GOP chairwoman.

She noted that more voters feel best about the Republicans, another party besides the two major parties or are simply unsure.

"It is a good indication that people are moving to a two-party view of the state, and that is good for the state," she said.

Democratic Party Chairman Walter Heen said the poll result was not a surprise.

"We are still in a good position," he said.

Incumbents also appear to be in a relatively good position.

The poll asked voters if they would vote to keep their state senator -- nearly half said "yes."

Just 32 percent said they would replace them and 22 percent said they were not sure.

The results follow the criticism of the Senate after it voted in 1999 to reject the appointment of Margery Bronster as attorney general.

The poll was conducted among 429 statewide registered voters by telephone Sept. 5-9 by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research Inc. of Washington, D.C. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.