Three Democrats are challenging Tamayo for the Democratic nomination: Genaro Bimbo, Rida Cabanilla and Gerald Vidal. The winner of the primary would go on to face Republican Trevor Koch, who is unopposed in the primary.

At a news conference Aug. 29, Tamayo announced that she would abide by the militarywide directive and not campaign for re-election. State laws bar her name from being removed from the ballot, however, so voters could still choose to re-elect her.

The office of House Speaker Calvin Say has been researching what options would be available to ensure 42nd House District constituents are served in the event Tamayo is re-elected.

One possibility would be for the Democratic leaders in the House to select a proxy to vote in her stead. In Pennsylvania, a man elected to the state Senate last year was allowed to take his seat when he returned from his military obligation this year, but there was no one casting votes on behalf of his district while he was gone.

If Tamayo were re-elected and then resigned, Republican Gov. Linda Lingle would have to choose a successor from the district who is also a Democrat.

Traffic remains among the top issues for residents of the district. Jermy Domingo, 21, a student home for the summer from Oregon, where she attends college, said traffic was unquestionably her top concern. "It's pretty bad," said Domingo, whose family lives in the Soda Creek section of 'Ewa. "There needs to be more emphasis on mass transit."

Hawai'i should learn from the example of Portland, Ore., she said, where light rail has been operating successfully for more than a decade. Even if O'ahu were never to embrace the rail concept, equally dramatic solutions abound, she said, such as a ferry from Iroquois Point to Aloha Tower.

Cabanilla, who finished second to Tamayo by 413 votes in the Democratic primary two years ago, has her own ideas for easing area traffic woes. "A tunnel from (the end of) Fort Weaver Road to Sand Island," she said. "I think that would be the ultimate solution to the traffic problem in 'Ewa Beach."

Cabanilla believes the state could get a federal loan for 95 percent of the underwater project, which would be repaid through toll fees. The remaining 5 percent could come in the form of a federal grant, she said.

Bimbo, like Cabanilla, wants to connect the 'Ewa coastline with downtown Honolulu, but at different points, and using different means. "My main priority is to propose and build, or whatever is necessary, an alternate route to downtown," Bimbo said.

"My solution is a bridge from Iroquois through downtown," he said. "If the naval ships are a concern, with Senator (Daniel) Inouye, everything is possible. Maybe we can move those ships to Kane'ohe Bay."

Vidal, who finished fourth in the same Democratic primary as Tamayo and Cabanilla, said he wants to establish a coastal road that would run from 'Aiea to Nanakuli.

"At the beach level, they need a coastline road ... that would run from 'Aiea to Nanakuli," he said, adding that would include making use of the Pearl Harbor Historic Trail now used by pedestrians and cyclists.

Koch had a more immediate solution to the traffic issue, saying he would "work on expediting the North/South Road construction (and) cutting the Fort Weaver (Road) construction time to 18 months."

As the only Republican in the race, Koch also said he would work with Gov. Lingle "on alternatives and incentives to fix our traffic problems," without giving further details.

Battling crime is another top priority for the candidates.

"I will work for tougher sentences for ice dealers and repeat offenders,"Koch said, as well as "more treatment programs and programs that help prevent young people from starting drugs."

Vidal wants to enact laws that would require prosecutors to take on criminals of all income levels. "They only go after people with money," he said. "And the non-money people are the revolving door."

Cabanilla said the drug epidemic worries her, especially in her district. She said she would push for a law requiring all private and government employees to be screened for illegal drug use. "We need to be a little more aggressive," she said.

Bimbo said he wants to propose the death penalty for drug-related offenses. "I am open to further discussion on this issue," he said. "Why spend a lot of money for programs that don't even work?"

Tamayo, who is barred from campaigning because of her military activation, did not respond to requests for interviews or to three general questions e-mailed to her.