Saturday night may tell us a lot about the future direction of our county and, to a lesser extent, our state. Saturday night may tell us a lot about the future direction of our county and, to a lesser extent,
Saturday night may tell us a lot about the future direction of our county and, to a lesser extent, our state.
Hawaii County has nonpartisan elections, meaning there is no Democratic or Republican ballot, no Green Party and no Libertarian running. Every candidate for every county seat up for election is on the ballot allowing voters to select the candidates of their choice. It’s not like the state office candidates, where you must vote only within one party: If you select a Democratic Party ballot, there’s no possibility to vote for any Republican candidate, and the converse holds true, as well.
State races are party contests. If someone is unopposed by another candidate from the same party for the seat sought, that candidate will advance to the general election automatically. Sen. Josh Green, by example, has no opponent on the primary ballot tomorrow, yet in November he will face the Republican who wins that party’s contest.
The nonpartisan county races are important. And it is important that voters exercise their right and cast a ballot in this primary election because many of the races will be decided Saturday. Any candidate in the nonpartisan county races who receives 50 percent of the votes cast, plus one vote, is elected to office and will not face a runoff in the general election.
We may possibly see this primary decision in a number of races, most likely for County Council seats. The mayoral race, however, may be forced into a runoff situation with three leading candidates, (in alphabetical order for those who are so keen on parity treatment), Billy Kenoi, Harry Kim and Dominic Yagong, splitting the vote. Which candidate will pull votes from the others is a tough question to answer, but Kim’s 11th hour entry into the race changed the landscape significantly.
It is a pretty good bet we will see the mayor’s race go to the general election, also the race for prosecutor could go down to the wire.
A lot depends upon voters, not solely in ballots cast, but also the ever-important considerations of turnout and which precincts do turn out. Traditionally, we see better turnout in some areas and these are often places where the ethnic makeup significantly directs the results.
Anyone who questions the ethnic vote in Hawaii need only look at past races and current contests. Why are Caucasian candidates so frequently featured with their wives in political advertising and literature — when the wife is of Asian ancestry?
The Japanese voters turn out to vote. The same cannot be said for all the makai Kona precincts.
Though we would like to believe otherwise, many votes are cast based upon name recognition or what a voter might remember from an ad or sound clip from TV or radio.
A full awareness of a candidate’s position on issues is less common among voters. Some voters will cast a ballot based upon a single issue, others on a gut reaction or the apparent ethnicity of a candidate based upon the surname on the ballot.
And there are many instances where a vote is cast for one candidate as a vote against another.
Voters should be reminded, however, that simply appearing to be a front-runner is by no means a guarantee of victory, definitely not so in Hawaii County.
For those whose memory is short, or whose experience post-dates the episode, this county has a history of voters defying all preconceived notions. In 1988, incumbent Mayor Dante Carpenter, ostensibly on his way to a second term, proved never, ever, second-guess the will of the electorate.
Carpenter, a former state senator and a major political player in Democratic Party politics, was headed for greater things — until his political posture reflected his now famous remark that he didn’t “give a rip.”
For long ….
He was stunned when he suffered defeat at the hands of Bernard Akana, a political unknown who did not participate in forums, didn’t much campaign and was reported to have invested less than $100 in that campaign.
Akana’s victory proved voters are as likely to vote against a candidate as to vote for one. Or, in Carpenter’s situation, the majority of votes cast were in opposition to the “leading Democrat,” a candidate many felt needed to be sent a message.
That message has become political lore in Hawaii.
Carpenter attempted one failed comeback, seeking to regain the mayoral office, and while still active in politics, and having served as an Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee, is now outside of elected office. He serves as a Democratic Party leader.
The underlying truism: Don’t count on polls, popularity or party prominence to assume any foregone conclusion about Hawaii County politics. Anything can and has happened.
Your job, as a voter, is to be as informed as possible and make the wisest choices you can once you step behind the curtain, or drop the ballot in the mail. Those who do not vote have no voice — and that is something they should remember when they complain loudly after the fact.
rflickinger@westhawaiitoday.com
