Posted on: Sunday, August 8, 2004

By Jerry Burris

What do Sophie Mataafa, Brian Evans, Cam Cavasso, Jim Brewer and a handful of other folks have in common?

They are among the overshadowed, ever-hopeful who have offered themselves as candidates for the U.S. House or Senate from Hawai'i.

These good folks know full well that they are marching directly into a stiff gale of political tradition. No incumbent member of Congress from Hawai'i has ever been defeated for re-election.

(The closest Hawai'i ever came to that circumstance was in 1986, when an odd combination of events caused Neil Abercrombie to win a special election to Congress while at the same time losing in the regular Democratic congressional primary.)

When rare change in our congressional delegation occurs, it is because a sitting member chooses to retire or seek another office.

Ostensibly, the most vulnerable member of Congress this year is freshman U.S. Rep. Ed Case. The assumption is that with only two years under his belt, he has yet to fully adopt the cloak of congressman-for-life.

He is being challenged by Honolulu Councilman Mike Gabbard, who has shown himself to be a formidable campaigner with broad name recognition.

Abercrombie, meanwhile, will have to deal with former newsman Dalton Tanonaka, who has never held public office but made a credible showing two years ago in his race for lieutenant governor. Libertarian Elyssa Young is also in that race.

The biggest challenge is that faced by the nine people who have decided to take on U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye.

So entrenched is Inouye that his bumper stickers say simply: "Dan."

Inouye, the third-most-senior member of the Senate, has moved beyond being a politician to being a living political institution. Through his office flows a vast river of federal money and programs for Hawai'i.

Why challenge him?

Evans, also a Democrat, explains it this way. Inouye's 35 years of service have earned him great seniority, but they also have accumulated a pile of obligations to special interests.

Over on the House side, nonpartisan Sophie Mataafa, a candidate in the 2nd District, simply argues that her candidacy offers a choice to voters who do not wish to support politics as usual.

One has to give these folks credit. While some may be in it for the kick of seeing their name on a ballot, others believe they have something to say and offer.

So remember these names: Brian Evans, Eddie Yoon, Cam Cavasso, James Deluze, Jay Friedheim, Rich Payne, Jeff Mallan, Jim Brewer and J. Turner Brown (U.S. Senate); Dalton Tanonaka, Elyssa Young, John Gentile, Mike Gabbard, Inam Rahman, Miles Shiratori, Jonathan Treat and Sophie Mataafa (U.S. House).

They might teach you something.

Jerry Burris is editor of The Advertiser's editorial pages. Reach him through letters@honoluluadvertiser.com.