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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted at 3:27 a.m., Sunday, September 22, 2002

Aiona, Matsunaga take No. 2 spot on tickets

By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer

Andrew Moynihan, 5, appears not particularly happy waiting for his mother Susan to cast her ballot at Star of the Sea in yesterday's primary.

Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Retired Circuit Court Judge James "Duke" Aiona defeated former television journalist Dalton Tanonaka in a tight Republican race for lieutenant governor last night while former state Sen. Matt Matsunaga prevailed over the other Democratic contenders.

In early returns, Matsunaga sped ahead of Clayton Hee, the former Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee, and never lost the lead. Donna Ikeda, the former state senator and Board of Education member, fell quickly behind.

The Republican race for lieutenant governor was one of the primary election's tightest races with Tanonaka and Aiona politely battling one another to serve as the running mate for front runner Linda Lingle.

"I'm happy. I'm encouraged by the early numbers," Aiona said. "It just solidifies all of the hard work that the families have been doing for the past six months or so."

Tanonaka said he wasn't disappointed by the early returns that had him behind Aiona.

"We're right where we want to be," Tanonaka said from his campaign headquarters. "The early votes benefit my opponent. We are very optimistic about what's to happen."

Aiona, a St. Louis School alumnus, had urged his supporters to vote early or by absentee ballot before last night's game.

The 47-year-old retired Circuit Court judge has touted his experience dealing with substance abuse, domestic violence and mental health issues. He is particularly proud of his role as the first judge to preside over "Hawai'i Drug Court," an alternative to jail time.

Tanonaka, 48, a former business and financial news anchor for CNN International, said business contacts he made in Asia would benefit Hawai'i's economy.

Both Aiona and Tanonaka drew far more votes than Cam Cavasso, a former state representative for the Kailua-WaimŒnalo district. Cavasso used his campaign to talk about his religious faith and his belief in the need for prayer and spirituality in civic affairs.

Matsunaga, 43, has acknowledged that his name gave him an edge. Matsunaga is the son of the late Spark Matsunaga, a popular U.S. Congressman.

Matt Matsunaga represented Wai'alae and Palolo as a state senator and was co-chairman of the Senate's Judiciary Committee for four years.

"We're very encouraged ... and very grateful for the support that we received," Matsunaga said. "We were able to get our message out there and that's what the voters wanted to hear."

Matsunaga dismissed concerns that a Mazie Hirono/Matsunaga ticket would not have broad enough appeal to defeat Republican Linda Lingle and her running mate in the General Election.

"I think that's ridiculous," Matsunaga said. "If you look at history, we've had .... several people all of the same ethnic background and all be successful. And I think voters are smart enough to judge us by the quality of our character and the quality of our ideals and not just by the color of our skin."

Hee, 49, a former state representative and state senator, most recently has served as an OHA trustee for 12 years — eight as OHA chairman. He is also the co-owner of The Cowboy Co. and editor and publisher of The Hawaiian Horseman and has been emphasizing Hawaiian issues throughout his campaign.

"It looks like it's going to be a long night," Hee said after the first returns came in.

Hee hoped that the early results represented a large percentage of Japanese-American voters, who generally would support Matsunaga.

"Obviously it doesn't look good, there's no question about that," Hee said. "I'm not going to sugar coat it. That's not my style. But I've seen bigger leads evaporate before."

Ikeda, 63, is a former teacher who had been chairwoman of the powerful Senate Ways and Means Committee. She lost re-election 1996 then was elected to the Board of Education in 2000. She resigned in July to run for lieutenant governor.

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8085.