Ex-legislator wins council seat
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser City Hall Writer
Former state Sen. Ann Kobayashi was elected last night in a special election held to replace convicted felon and former Councilman Andy Mirikitani.
Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser
She had been the front-runner in the race from the start after having served in the Legislature for 14 years representing a large chunk of the council district. She won the support of people who have campaigned before and she raised the most money in the race, more than $61,000 as of the first primary.
A city clerk installed software into an election machine at City Hall in preparation for yesterday's special election.
Kobayashi, 64, has been working as a special assistant to Gov. Ben Cayetano for youth programs, for which she accepts a salary of $1 a year.
Kobayashi also won the endorsement of the state's largest public worker union, the Hawai'i Government Employees Association.
The council district spans the diverse communities of Manoa, Mo'ili'ili, McCully, Tantalus, Makiki, Pawa'a, Ala Moana and Kewalo. The race attracted a large field — 14 people — in the winner-take-all contest to finish Mirikitani's term, which expires Jan. 2, 2003.
Coming in second in the race was former state Rep. Sam Aiona, the youngest candidate in the race at 36. Aiona, served in the state House from 1996 to 1998, representing the Makiki-Manoa area.
It was clear that political experience played a part for residents who took time to vote in the one-race election. The next closest contenders also have islandwide recognition. Fire department spokesman Capt. Richard Soo is well-known for his frequent reports to the news media about fires, rescues and disasters.
Soo, 50, lives in Kalawahine, the new Hawaiian Homes subdivision near Roosevelt High School. He took leave from his city job to run and is considering running in the next regular election, when reapportionment would place him in the district now represented by Councilman Jon Yoshimura.
Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser
A legal election contest period ends at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 15, after which Kobayashi can be sworn in. That would bring the council back up to nine members in time for its Feb. 20 meeting. The council has been a member short since December.
The turnout was light in yesterday's special election to replace convicted felon Andy Mirikitani on the City Council.
Kobayashi will be eligible to run for the full-time seat in this fall's regular elections.
The field of candidates included many with neighborhood board experience, including John Steelquist, a business professor at Chaminade University.
The election was to replace Mirikitani, who this month began serving time at a prison in Las Vegas after receiving a 4?-year sentence for public corruption.
He was convicted July 3 on felony public corruption counts of theft, bribery, extortion, wire fraud and witness tampering.
City Clerk Genny Wong said 44,868 people were registered to vote in the special election. About 9.5 percent of them, or 4,522, chose to vote by absentee ballots, either by mail or at City Hall.
Traditionally, Wong said it is difficult to get voters to the polls for a special election. Yesterday's race was no different. The rainy weather may have dimmed whatever enthusiasm there was for replacing the convicted councilman.
Mirikitani, the highest-ranking elected official in Hawai'i to be indicted on federal felony charges while in office, was convicted for offering two bonuses to two of his then-council aides if they kicked back a share of the money to him.
His wife, Sharron, was convicted of helping him in the theft and extortion case, and sentenced to serve one year and nine months in federal prison.
The Mirikitanis also were ordered to pay restitution of $6,884, the amount they received in the scheme.
Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or by call 525-8070.
