Incumbents may clash under new district lines

By Kevin Dayton and Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

Two Democratic and two Republican House members may be forced to challenge other incumbents, move into new neighborhoods or leave the House under a preliminary reapportionment plan developed yesterday.

In the Senate, Sen. Les Ihara Jr. D-10th (Waikiki-Kaimuki) would see his district carved up and distributed among neighboring lawmakers' districts, leaving his Kaimuki home in a newly drawn district with Sen. Matt Matsunaga, D-9th (Wai'alae-Palolo).

Ihara, who is seen as a dissident in the Senate, said he doesn't know if he was singled out for punishment.

"There is enormous discretion on where the lines are drawn, and this is the first plan," he said. "After I and the public, the citizen groups analyze it, there may or may not be a more reasonable and fair plan. We'll have to see."

The first draft of the reapportionment plan drawn a decade ago looked very different from the final version that emerged after public testimony, Ihara said.

New House districts also would be created in Mililani and the Waipahu area because of the growing population in developments like Waikele. In the Senate, enough people are now living in new neighborhoods in 'Ewa and 'Ewa Beach that the area will have its own Senate seat.

The plan drafted by the state Reapportionment Commission would redraw the lines of every House and Senate district in the state to equalize the population in each district, in some cases separating lawmakers from neighborhoods they have represented for years.

The new boundaries would carve up the district represented by freshman Rep. Charles Djou, R-47th (Kahalu'u-Kane'ohe) in a way that lumps Djou in the same district as veteran Rep. Ken Ito, D-48th (Kane'ohe).

Djou said he doesn't intend to fight the change, in part because the reapportionment effort appears to generally balance the interests of Republicans against Democrats.

Djou said he is also considering running for lieutenant governor next year, and said GOP Chairwoman Linda Lingle has encouraged him to run.

'I wouldn't have a chance'

Rep. Bob McDermott, running for Congress next year, said the new boundaries have taken him out of his House district. McDermott, who lives on Piikea Street, said the new boundaries put him two blocks outside of the new 32nd House District ('Aiea-Salt Lake-Aliamanu).

If McDermott did run for re-election, he would have to face Democrat House member Blake Oshiro.

"It just reinforces my decision to run for Congress," McDermott said. "I said before, if they carved up Foster Village, I wouldn't have a chance."

Rep. Terry Nui Yoshinaga, D-22nd (Mo'ili'ili-McCully-Pawa'a) said the plan would redraw her district in a way that would lump her with Rep. Scott Saiki, D-20th (Kapahulu-Mo'ili'ili).

Yoshinaga said she plans at the moment to run for re-election, and said it is too early to say if she would protest the way the district is being redrawn. She said she is waiting for more detailed maps to study, and others involved in the reapportionment process said the boundaries of that district in particular may change dramatically.

'Canoe' districts unpopular

In Kalihi, the draft plan would lump Rep. Felipe "Jun" Abinsay, D-29th (Kalihi-Palama-Moanalua) in the same district as Rep. Benjamin Cabreros, D-30th (Kalihi Kai-Mapunapuna.)

Abinsay said he's not inclined to complain about the draft map. "I always believe that these people were appointed, and they were given the trust and we just have to accept it," he said.

Other changes incorporated in the draft are proposed "canoe" districts that would include pieces of more than one island. One proposal would combine East Maui and the Big Island's Puna into a canoe district, a plan that disappointed Madge Schaefer of Maui's reapportionment advisory council.

"We don't like canoe districts because the constituents on either island aren't property represented," Schaefer said. "It doesn't serve well for the lawmakers, either, who have to travel."

Another proposed canoe district would link north Kaua'i with Mokul«'ia on O'ahu's North Shore.

You can reach Kevin Dayton and Scott Ishikawa at 525-8070 or kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com, or sishikawa@honoluluadvertiser.com