Map redraws legislative Twelve state legislators from Oahu face a possible run against each other next year because proposed legislative maps have put them in the same new districts.
battle lines
The redistricting plan for Oahu
pits a dozen lawmakers against
each other in next year's electionBy Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comWhile some say they will meet this incumbent challenge head-on, others say they intend to find a compromise -- most likely resulting in one of them moving out of the new district to avoid a 2002 election face-off.
"We'll work it out," said Sen. Fred Hemmings (R, Waimanalo), whose proposed Senate district includes the home of Senate Minority Leader Sam Slom (R, Hawaii Kai).
Yesterday, the 2001 Reapportionment Commission released its new redistricting plan for the 53 legislative seats on Oahu. Maps of neighbor island districts, which also include a few incumbent run-offs, were released Thursday.
The commission will hold statewide hearings between Nov. 19 and Nov. 27 on this second set of statewide maps before it adopts a final plan Nov. 30. Strong opposition to the initial redistricting maps in September prompted a majority of the panel to revisit the addition of more multi-island or canoe districts and to remove non-resident military dependents from the population base used to equally divide the districts.
The goal is to file a final redistricting plan with the chief elections officer Dec. 14.
Under the new maps, six pairs of legislators find themselves in the same district as another incumbent. For example, Slom and Hemmings are in a new district that starts at Olomana Stream on the Windward side, heads east around Makapuu to Koko Head Park and encompasses everything east of Lunalilo Home Road.
Slom hadn't seen the maps yesterday and had no comment. Hemmings said the two intend to work it out themselves if the final reapportionment plan keeps them in the same district. Even so, he is pleased with the redistricting.
"They (the commission) had the guts to reverse themselves and change it at the will of the public," Hemmings said.
Senate Democrats in the same predicament include Rod Tam (D, Nuuanu) and Suzanne Chun Oakland (D, Liliha). Their adjacent districts were combined into a single area that starts at the Koolau mountains above Honolulu, heads makai through Nuuanu and Liliha, then west through Kalihi Kai and ends at Sand Island.
Tam has said he intends to run for re-election no matter where his new district is. Chun Oakland said yesterday she anticipated reapportionment would affect her district this way and is glad her community remains intact.
Chun Oakland welcomes a tough race against Tam and wants to serve wherever she can. "I think it will be exciting the entire year," she said.
In the House, Republicans Charles Djou (R, Kaneohe) and David Pendleton (R, Maunawili) have been placed in the same Kaneohe district.
Djou said he won't run against Pendleton and is considering a run for lieutenant governor. The fact the two may end up in the same district is one reason for doing so, he said. Pendleton could not be reached for comment.
Others who have reached a compromise are Reps. Felipe "Jun" Abinsay (D, Moanalua-Kapalama) and Ben Cabreros (D, Kalihi-Kai), who find themselves in the same broad Kalihi district.
Cabreros said if the new reapportionment plan stands, he will move a few blocks away to avoid running against Abinsay, who has seniority over him as a legislator.
Cabreros said he could run for re-election in the district now held by Rep. Bob McDermott (Aliamanu-Foster Village) because McDermott intends to run for U.S. Congress next year and that area will be open.
Other lawmakers with a possible face-off are Sens. Matt Matsunaga (D, Waialae-Palolo) and Les Ihara Jr. (Kapahulu-Waikiki). Also, Reps. Terry Nui Yoshinaga (D, Moiliili) and Ed Case (D, Manoa) both live in the same new district for Manoa, but this challenge is moot because Case is running for governor next year.
Case said Yoshinaga will have to earn the vote of Manoa residents, who value community involvement, if she runs for that district. "You can't fake it in Manoa," Case said.
Meanwhile, Reapportionment Chairman Wayne Minami said he's confident these new maps will be approved by the commission. The reapportionment process has followed the state constitution and so hopefully won't be challenged in court, he said.
"The plan, as adopted, becomes the new districts for the next 10 years," Minami said.
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