From local councilman to U.S. congressman, Charles Djou's easy win Saturday night blasts open a boisterous political season, a resurgence of voter engagement and profound soul-searching for Hawaii's Democratic Party. Almost 40 percent of voters gave Republican Djou a mega-boost up the political ladder, sending him to Congress through early January. But the real test, the real prize, comes in November, when the full two-year term is decided. And a lot can happen in five short months.

Just four months ago, Djou was viewed as a viable but not-quite-ready-for-prime-time candidate for the seat vacated by Democrat Neil Abercrombie, who resigned to run for governor. But as the campaign unfolded, Djou steadily gained momentum as his simple, well-articulated message of “;too much debt, too much taxes, too much wasteful spending”; resonated with residents. It's a national message proven effective in other recent, upset races.

The frustration among Democrats is palpable as neither former U.S. Rep. Ed Case nor state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa emerged the frontrunner. The party split—and its fissure was ultimately big enough for Djou to cakewalk through.

If Djou's win is the headline, Hanabusa's second-place finish (30.8 percent) to Case's third (27.6 percent) is the sub-head. Once considered the favorite with his congressional experience and moderate-independent message, Case struggled against Hawaii's traditional political powers. U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye channeled his animosity against Case into clout for Hanabusa, and labor unions endorsed her and sign-waved enthusiastically. That she came in second gives her a power position she had not publicly enjoyed throughout the campaign.

Democratic stalwarts are quick to point out that Hanabusa's and Case's combined votes, at 59 percent, could've easily beaten Djou, so this is still Democrat territory. Could've, would've, should've. Hawaii politics-as-usual should have produced one strong, well-anointed candidate for the win. It did not. How—and if—a fractious Hawaii Democratic Party unifies against a common foe to recover a seat it's held for 20 years is a gaping wound that could fester and bleed support.

As expected, national Republicans and political pundits hail Djou's win as a referendum on Congress and an anti-Obama slap. “;This victory came in Barack Obama's hometown, a district the president carried by a margin of 70-28 percent in 2008,”; Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said. “;Charles' victory is evidence his conservative message of lowering the tax burden, job creation and government accountability knows no party lines.”;

About 54 percent of registered urban-Honolulu voters (171,417, of 317,337) participated in this mail-in special election, a smooth process yielding a mighty turnout—especially compared with the 2002 2nd Congressional special election, when only 13 percent voted. Voters in Hawaii, clearly, like many others nationwide, are in a feisty mood to take government back. Politicians, especially entrenched incumbents, cannot afford to ignore this reality.