By Jerry Burris
Advertiser Editorial Page Editor

The old saying, of course, is that all politics is local. And that's a good way to look at it most of the time.

But this year, local politics have gone national, not just in Hawai'i but in many states.

Some 36 states will elect a governor this year. In 18, including Hawai'i, the office will be open because of term limits or other reasons. This has attracted fierce attention from Washington.

Why?

The foremost reason is the U.S. Senate. That body, with influence over everything from national legislation to judicial and administrative appointments, and issues of war and peace, is evenly divided.

The Democrats run the show today, but the switch of a single seat from Democratic to Republican could change things. And that's why Washington is so vitally interested in local elections.

The primary focus, of course, will be on senatorial elections themselves. But there is a second level of interest that has drawn unusual national attention: elections for governor.

In the case of a senatorial vacancy, it is the governor of the home state who appoints a replacement. If the Senate continues to be evenly divided after this fall's elections, all eyes will be on possible vacancies and the party of the governors who will name the replacements.

That puts Hawai'i in the center of the action. Neither of Hawai'i's two senators — Democrats Dan Akaka and Dan Inouye — show any sign of wanting to quit. And neither man has shown any sign of serious health problems that might require him to step down.

But it hasn't escaped anyone's notice that both Dans will celebrate their 79th birthday in September. That's an age when many people — even U.S. Senators — start thinking of retirement and a slower pace.

Should either decide to step aside in the next few years, the person sitting in the governor's chair will choose a replacement — and possibly a tie-breaking vote in the Senate.

That's why national Republicans are unusually interested in seeing one of their own break the Democratic stranglehold on Washington Place. And that's one of the key reasons the Democrats are unwilling to let the local gubernatorial primary take its natural course.

GOP candidate Linda Lingle already has enjoyed unusual attention from her national party, in part because she represents a new and attractive breed of Republican governor that it would love to showcase on the national stage. But she also is appealing because she has a solid shot of winning, and thus would be in position to make that critical appointment if the need arises.

The same goes for the Democrats. For the sake of their national agenda, they have to have a winner in the Islands.

What this will mean in practical terms is an unusual amount of national money and attention focused on our race for governor. And it helps explain why Inouye, our senior senator, has spent so much time and effort trying to ensure that his party fields a winner this year.

Reach Jerry Burris at letters@honoluluadvertiser.com.