Traffic is top concern
in mayor’s race,
poll indicates

Bainum scores better with voters
who value honesty in the race

Duke Bainum appeals to those who say honesty matters to them in the mayor's race.

Mufi Hannemann's strength is among those who consider Hawaiian rights and homelessness significant concerns in the campaign.

And both candidates appeal to voters who think traffic, not crime, is their No. 1 topic.

These are among the issues that likely general election voters say are most important to them in the campaign for mayor, according to results of a poll conducted by SMS Research for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and KITV4 News.

"What we're talking about are quality-of-life issues," Bainum said.

But the poll also cross-referenced the issues respondents selected with how they said they would vote for mayor -- Bainum or Hannemann.

The telephone survey was taken Oct. 17-20 among 462 Oahu registered voters who are likely to vote in the Nov. 2 election for mayor.

Traffic topped the list of 19 specific concerns, followed by education, the economy, honesty and the candidates' ability to control spending.

Those who picked traffic as their No. 1 issue were evenly split on their vote for mayor.

Both candidates have spent a considerable amount of time talking about how they would solve traffic congestion, especially from Leeward and Central Oahu to downtown Honolulu. Both candidates support light rail as a long-range solution, and each has proposals to combat the problem short term.

Bainum was the pick for the majority of those who selected the economy, education and spending, although Hannemann was less than five percentage points behind.

"Both of these men have been in public service for a while and understand the issues facing the city. You really see that clearly, and each of them has really articulated the concerns to the voters," Hannemann campaign spokeswoman Elisa Yadao said.

"So now we're going to get down to the brass tacks: OK, those are the concerns, and which candidate is in the position to do a better job."

Bainum also scored especially high among those who selected "honesty and integrity" and a separate category of "change" as an important issue.

Bainum has used the theme of honest change throughout the campaign. When asked if he thought his message is resonating with voters, Bainum responded, "That's not just my message, that's who I am."

Bainum said he believes he best represents the candidate for change.

"I think they know that I have the experience and background to do it. I think people realize you need someone who really knows the city, and I know the city," Bainum said. "But they know I've got the independence. You can't overlook it."

But Yadao said Hannemann is more than a slogan. "He is a strong leader. He is tested and he is decisive."

Hannemann polled well with topics that concern native Hawaiians -- a constituency that strongly supports him. Those topics include leasehold conversion, Hawaiian rights and homelessness.

Bainum said he was surprised that crime did not come up higher in the list because "going door to door, talking to groups, people are very concerned about it."

Both Bainum and Hannemann have come out with a platform to combat illegal drugs and crime. And Hannemann has won the endorsement of the police and firefighter unions.

And while Bainum has the lead among those who consider crime important, both candidates have equal support among those who cite safety and security -- such as homeland security -- as their top concerns, the poll shows.