Akaka vs. Thielen

The veteran GOP representative says she will focus on energy and environmental issues

REPUBLICANS tapped 73-year-old state Rep. Cynthia Thielen yesterday, replacing a GOP primary-winning candidate to oppose 82-year-old U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka's bid for re-election.

But Thielen said age will not be an issue in the general election, as it was for Akaka in Saturday's Democratic primary race. The environment will be an issue, she said.

Thielen said she hoped to make Akaka's support for oil drilling in the Alaska wilderness and offshore a campaign issue.

The 16-year legislative veteran ran unopposed in four elections, including this year. She was picked to replace GOP candidate Jerry Coffee, who won the primary but had withdrawn from the race following a heart attack and surgery.

Because she had no opposition, Thielen was elected outright in Saturday's primary for her Kailua-Kaneohe district and is able to run for the U.S. Senate. If she wins that race, Gov. Lingle will pick a new state representative to fill her vacancy. If she does not win, she returns to the House seat.

State GOP Chairman Sam Aiona said the GOP executive committee had discussed a replacement over a period of four days and unanimously selected Thielen.

Thielen is an environmentalist and won the endorsement of the Sierra Club. She got her law degree in 1979 and worked with the Protect Kahoolawe Ohana to stop military bombing of the island.

Her daughter, Laura Thielen, is director of the state Office of Planning and a former member of the state school board. Her daughter-in-law, Laura Thielen, is with the Affordable Housing and Homeless Alliance and is in charge of the state's Next Step homeless shelter in Kakaako.

Lingle praised Thielen and called her "an outstanding, experienced legislator with great world experience."

Democratic Party Chairman Mike McCartney also said Thielen would be a strong opponent.

"She is a good choice, and it shows the Republicans really thought it through.

"We are going to be working hard, and we feel Sen. Akaka will rise to the occasion," McCartney said.

Akaka was traveling back to Washington, D.C., yesterday after his primary election victory over U.S. Rep. Ed Case and was unavailable for comment.

His campaign did release a statement, however, saying that Akaka would not debate Thielen, because Thielen was appointed to run against him and had not been nominated in a U.S. Senate primary.

Thielen discussed her candidacy yesterday at GOP headquarters in Honolulu.

She said she would need to raise money for the Nov. 7 election and had not yet talked to the national Republican campaign.

She dodged the issue of both the war in Iraq and support for President Bush, and said she wanted instead to stress her support for renewable energy and the environment.

When asked if she would have voted to support the war, Thielen called the question "a hard one to answer."

She also said she had not "come up to speed" on Social Security reform.

When asked if she supported the war in Iraq today, Thielen said it was not a yes-or-no question.

"I want to bring our troops home, and I deplore war, but at the same time we can't leave that country in conflict and total chaos.

"We need to go ahead and support the Iraq people and their troops in order to maintain law and order, and then get out," Thielen said.

On the issue of the Bush presidency, Thielen said she was uncomfortable with some of his decisions.

"I think there are many things that the American people are uncomfortable with under his presidency, and those are Republicans and Democrats. I am among those who are uncomfortable with some of the things, but instead of sitting back taking shots at him, I want to be in Washington," Thielen said.