Top Democrat
to quit

Party Chairman Walter Heen
is expected to be replaced by former
Labor Director Lorraine Akiba

By Richard Borreca
Star-Bulletin

Walter Heen, who one year ago ran without opposition as chairman of the state Democratic Party, is expected to step down next month.

Democratic Party officials who asked not to be identified said Heen would step down at the party's April 16 Central Committee meeting. He is expected to be replaced by Lorraine Akiba, an attorney and the Democrats' national committeewoman.

Heen, 72, was first elected as party chairman in 1998 in a race against former congressman and Lt. Gov. Thomas P. Gill. Supporters called Heen a moderating force who was elected to bring the party together.

Now Democrats say they are looking for a more forceful leader who can rally the party loyalists for the crucial 2002 elections.

Heen, when asked about the reports that he would step down, declined to comment. Akiba also would not comment, saying "it is premature to say anything yet."

The party is planning a $100-a-ticket fund-raiser April 16 at the Blaisdell Center.

Heen is a former state intermediate appeals court judge and has served in the state and territorial House, the state Senate and the City Council.

He was first elected to office in 1959.

Akiba, 44, is the former state labor director. Before joining state government, she was an attorney with Cades Schutte Fleming and Wright. Akiba is now a partner at McCorriston Miller Mukai and MacKinnon.

She is a political-science graduate from the University of California-Berkeley with a law degree from Hastings College.

As chairman, Heen saw the Republicans win the most seats in the House since statehood -- 19 -- and ran the party when the Democratic governor, Ben Cayetano, came within 5,000 votes of losing his re-election to his GOP challenger, former Maui Mayor Linda Lingle.

Democrats in both the House and Senate and the state administration say the party has been looking to redo its image and to get a younger spokesperson.

Heen himself said after the losses in the 2000 campaign that the Democrats needed to raise more money and field more candidates.

"They have developed attractive candidates and put their money into the campaigns, something we have been unable to do," Heen said after the GOP wins in 2000.