Former judge makes bid
for lieutenant gov

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By Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.com

Former state Judge James Aiona is running for lieutenant governor as a Republican.

In an announcement yesterday at the GOP headquarters, Aiona became the second Republican to enter the race. Former television newsman Dalton Tanonaka is the other candidate.

Aiona, who was instrumental in planning and setting up the state drug court and served as its first judge, said he was running because of his concerns about the many rising social problems in Hawaii.

The two major candidates for governor on the Republican sides, Linda Lingle and John Carroll, both praised Aiona, saying he was someone they could work with.

"This sets up a terrific race for lieutenant governor," said Lingle, the former mayor of Maui and an unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1998.

She noted that Tanonaka had economic experience as a former CNN broadcaster in Asia for more than a decade and that Aiona had been a judge "who has worked with drug and alcohol addiction and abuse and how we are going to deal with these problems.

"They both have very obvious areas that we want to work in," Lingle said.

Aiona, 46, is a Maryknoll and St. Louis High School graduate. He attended the University of the Pacific and graduated from the University of Hawaii law school in 1981. He is a former deputy city prosecutor and corporation counsel. He is married and has four children.

He was appointed to the Family Court in 1993 but resigned in 1995, noting that Hawaii's high cost of living made it difficult for him to continue on the judge's salary of $81,780.

Since then, Aiona has been in private practice and has served as a hearings officer for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and as a part-time judge.