Blundell says his opponents seized the opportunity to take advantage of his "unfortunate mistake."

"There's no doubt about it," he said. "Both jumped in in the last two days of the filing period. The Democrats had nobody. There's no doubt (the arrest) played a big part."

But McKelvey and Tanaka insist they would have run for the seat whether or not Blundell was arrested.

McKelvey, 26, a travel agent with an online travel agency, said she has been weighing a run for office for two years. She said she decided to go for it because the incumbent isn't doing enough to represent all the people of West Maui.

Tanaka, a 67-year-old retired corrections officer, agrees.

"I hear a lot of locals complain, so I decided to step up to the plate," he said. "His problem didn't have anything to do with it."

If there are complaints, it's likely many of them are about traffic congestion — the issue each of the candidates agreed was the area's No. 1 problem.

"West Maui is the world's biggest cul-de-sac," says Lahaina attorney Dick McCarty. The Honoapi'ilani Highway is the only decent road in and out of the popular tourist area, he said, and traffic congestion continues to grow, especially around Lahaina.

McCarty said health and safety is another concern for West Maui — and the inferior roads and traffic problem weighs heavily in that area as well. With the island's only hospital in Central Maui, McCarty believes West Maui is teetering on disaster if more than one or two people are involved in a life-threatening emergency.

The state has been promising the construction of the Lahaina Bypass for decades, but so far the project remains squarely on the drawing boards.

Blundell, 63, the CEO of Central Pacific Marine, said he was able to persuade the governor to release $30 million for the first phase of the bypass, from Lahainaluna Road to Keawe Street. But more money is needed to buy rights-of-way.

"We've got stuff in motion to allow the bypass to happen," he said, "but I've got to stay on top of that to make sure additional funding comes through."

McKelvey said Blundell promised the bypass two years ago and he has failed to come through. Meanwhile, West Maui traffic congestion worsens, she said.

McKelvey said she wants to look at using old cane haul roads to move traffic when accidents shut down the highway. She also wants to examine the possibility of light rail as a transportation alternative.

On healthcare, Blundell said he continues to work closely with the West Maui Taxpayer's Association to help develop a 50-bed hospital. He's also helping another citizens' group that wants to use private money to establish an acute care center.

Blundell noted that the Legislature passed a prescription drug bill providing discount cards to senior citizens. But he wants even more discounts for seniors. "There's more work to be done."

McKelvey said she hopes to make economic diversification a thrust of her political service.

"Maui is so dependent on the the visitor industry, but we cannot be solely dependent on it," she said. She said the economic hit the Islands took following Sept. 11, 2001, was a lesson to be learned. Among the initiatives she would support is resurrecting the former West Maui sugar cane fields for crops to produce ethanol. The effort, she said, would result in lower gas prices, cleaner air and more jobs.

The winner of the Sept. 18 Democratic primary will face Blundell Nov. 2.

Blundell, whose arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 3, said he is dealing with his arrest on a personal level and he's confident he'll be able to separate that from his public life.

"I would like the people of West Maui to re-elect me. But if they don't feel I can represent them, that's what elections are all about. They can vote me out."