It is a winner-take-all Democratic primary state Senate race for the reconfigured Wailuku-to-Kahului seat, and incumbent Jan Yagi Buen isn't taking things lightly. Maui Senate race is
Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of profiles of political candidates for the primary election Sept. 21.
winner-take-all contest
By Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comIn the 1998 primary election, Buen upset Democrat Rosalyn Baker, then co-chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, and went on to win her first elected seat that November.
She was one of six freshman senators from the Class of 1999. Five of the six have used this alliance to forge leadership and committee positions over the past four years. Their re-election would play a large role on Senate reorganization following the general election.
After four years as a legislator, the former Maui Electric Co. special projects director knows she cannot take voters in the new Senate District 4 for granted. Buen, 59, faces a tough challenge from two other Democrats, Thomas Cerizo, 55, and Shan S. Tsutsui, 31. There is no Republican candidate in the district.
Tsutsui has already won surprise endorsements from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, the United Public Workers union, the AFL-CIO, as well as the painters union.
Buen said she welcomes the newcomer candidates because it shows the Democratic process at work. But she believes she has the experience, knowledge and support needed to represent the area, where issues of economy and health are the top concerns.
"For myself, I'd like to continue serving the people of Maui County," Buen said.
Tsutsui, a financial adviser at UBS PaineWebber in Wailuku and co-owner of Keiki Time, a baby products store in Kahului, said he sought the advice of political elders to see if there was support for his race.
What the fourth-generation Maui native found is that people are dissatisfied with government and its incumbent leadership. He said it is a natural fit to run for public office since he has always had an interest in public service.
"This is one really good way to help people and affect the lives of other people," Tsutsui said.
"For me, government is all about being accessible, listening to constituents and having an open-door policy."
Both Buen and Tsutsui said they are concerned about the lack of proper funding at Maui Memorial Medical Center, a state-operated hospital. Buen and other legislators attempted last spring to remove the hospital from the statewide Hawaii Health Systems Corp., but the idea drew strong opposition and stalled.
Buen said she will try again next session to gain support for the plan. Tsutsui said he would rather revamp the entire state hospital system to address statewide needs.
Cerizo, owner of an insurance agency representing Allstate Insurance, said he entered this race after hearing about problems in the state public education system from his daughter, Michelle Cerizo-Perez, who teaches disadvantaged youths.
He said that after she taught at public school systems on Guam and in San Francisco, she was disappointed with the Hawaii school system because of its inefficiencies.
Among the things Cerizo would do as a legislator is use old-fashioned student detention centers in high schools to contain disruptive student behavior.
Also, he would push for legislation that allows for larger deductibles in insurance premium claims, and for the beautification of the Kahului-Wailuku harbor that includes a shoreline promenade. Other issues for him include affordable housing, traffic and planning.
Cerizo said he is not intimidated by the other two candidates in this race and believes he has a proven track record to win.
"I'm a very positive person, and I believe my presence in the community over the past 20 years is going to be a plus," Cerizo said.
Senate District 4 At a glance
Here's a snapshot of state Senate District 4 (Wailuku, Kahului), based on Census 2000:
Total population:
42,688 (50 percent male, 50 percent female)
Major ethnic populations:
People with two or more races: 25 percent
Filipino: 25 percent
Japanese: 17 percent
White: 15 percent
Native Hawaiian: 9 percent
