DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Gubernatorial candidate Linda Lingle held a rally last night at Aiea Intermediate School. During the rally, Lingle asked the members of the Aiea community, a Democratic stronghold, to vote Republican. Six-year-old Taylor Chee, left, and her sister Ashlyn, age 5, greeted Lingle after her talk. The girls came with their father, Al Chee.
Lingle takes Republican candidate for governor Linda Lingle brought her campaign to the Democratic stronghold of Aiea last night for a political rally.
message to Aiea
Republicans have never done
well in the district, but the party
hopes to change thatBy Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.comShe asked the crowd of about 250 people at Aiea Intermediate School to vote Republican.
The district has never elected a Republican to the state House, and strongly supported Democratic Gov. Ben Cayetano four years ago.
"You may have never considered this, but I want to ask you to vote in the Republican primary," Lingle said.
[ ELECTION 2002 ] "Make your voice heard early. Even if you have never done it before, please consider voting the Republican primary," she said.
Lingle said her campaign would benefit from momentum if she were to have a convincing win in the primary.
Lingle faces former GOP Chairman and state legislator John Carroll in the primary election.
Four years ago, in a contested primary election against former Mayor Frank Fasi, Lingle gathered more votes than her eventual Democratic opponent, Cayetano, who was running unopposed.
Lingle then lost the general election by 5,000 votes.
Last night, Lingle drew a mixed crowd of Republicans and some Democrats, who said they were interested in hearing the GOP front-runner.
Wendy Miyashiro, a GOP staffer who lives in the strongly Democratic area of Moanalua, said she notices more Lingle signs in yards in Pearl City, Aiea Heights and Halawa.
"These are all strong Democratic areas, but I think this year, people are listening to the person and not the party," Miyashiro said.
That feeling at the Lingle rally was seconded by voters such as Calvin Hayamizu, retired, who said he was "a Democrat who switched.
"I want her to get up there and offer us a change," he said.
"I'm voting for the person. The party label means nothing nowadays," Hayamizu said.
Another Democrat, Lana Takamoto, said she wanted to listen to Lingle before making up her mind.
"I was born and raised a Democrat, but times have changed," she said.
Others, such as Republican James Chun, an independent video producer, brought his wife and 2-year-old daughter to listen to Lingle.
"I am just hoping that she will be able to help the business economy and make it better," Chun said.
Lingle's campaign manager said the campaign plans 11 more neighborhood rallies before the Sept. 21 primary election.
Although the campaign has drawn big crowds in the traditional GOP strongholds of East Honolulu, Lingle's rally last night was larger than the one held in Aiea four years ago, Bob Awana said.
"Next week, we go to Kalihi. That will be the acid test," Awana said.
The rallies also help the GOP get some publicity for the House and Senate candidates. Last night, Lynn Finnegan, who is running for the 32nd House District of Aiea to Moanalua, said Lingle's campaign is picking up a more ethnically balanced look.
Long criticized for being a heavily Caucasian political party, the GOP is stressing ethnic diversity. Finnegan, who is a Filipino American, said she thinks there has been a change.
"There is more participation and diversity," Finnegan said.
State Office of Elections
