Clarence Nishihara

Cal Kawamoto

Clayton Hee

Melodie Aduja

Sen. Cal Kawamoto was defeated by Democratic challenger Clarence Nishihara in the 18th District (Waipahu, Crestview, Pearl City).

Meanwhile, freshman Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo, who volunteered for active military duty in Iraq and said she would not campaign, lost her seat in the Waipahu-'Ewa district.

Aduja, who was elected to the 23rd Senate District in 2002, recently agreed to pay $9,100 in fines and restitution after being investigated by the state Campaign Spending Commission. Among other violations, she failed to justify thousands of dollars in campaign expenditures, including checks received by her former husband, Lee Williams. The matter was even more controversial because Williams was arrested in a Chinatown drug bust in April.

Last night Aduja said she was sure the campaign finance issue affected her race. "It's unfortunate that it became such a highly publicized situation, when it was nothing more than being unable to find my receipts, and most of the receipts had been located and provided," she said.

Hee, a former state senator, said the campaign spending issues had some effect and noted Kawamoto's situation as well. "It suggests to me that voters are aware of the issue that the incumbents were faced with and one could reasonably conclude that they didn't appreciate those kinds of problems," he said.

Hee will face Republican Jim Henshaw, who beat Gordon "Butch" Tilley, in the November general election.

Kawamoto attributed his lower numbers to the campaign finance controversy, as well as news media reports about it.

The Campaign Spending Commission fined him $21,000 for not reporting dozens of contributions between 1995 and 2003 and for using campaign money for personal expenses. He has acknowledged he and his campaign "made a mistake" and said they learned from the matter.

Earlier last night Kawamoto said he was surprised at how many votes Nishihara received, but added: "Well, that's the way it goes."

He said Nishihara used the campaign finance matter as a key issue and added: "This race was me against the media. O It's difficult to fight both papers."

Campaign finance reports show Kawamoto's war chest of $219,362 dwarfed Nishihara's $11,690.

Nishihara, a retired public school vice principal, said he believed Kawamoto's campaign finance controversy was a factor in the primary. He said the major part of his campaign was spent "talking about the issues of honesty and integrity.

"I felt that was a real issue and a real concern for people in the district," he said. "People who are running for the first time need to have the issues on their side, they need to have the community wanting a change in who represents them, and then the issue of who's got more money doesn't have that kind of traction."

Nishihara won the seat outright because no Republicans ran in the race.

In House District 42 (Waipahu, Honouliuli, 'Ewa), Tamayo, who volunteered for active duty after she filed to run for re-election, lost to registered nurse Rida Cabanilla in the four-way Democratic primary.

Last month Tamayo announced she would not campaign for re-election, but state law barred the removal of her name from the ballot.

Cabanilla advances to the general election to face Republican Trevor Koch, a computer technician.

Freshman Democratic Rep. Romy Mindo narrowly defeated 'Ewa Villages Homeowners Association manager Tesha Malama in a three-way Democratic primary in the 43rd District ('Ewa Beach, West Loch). Construction project manager Jeff Alexander came in third.

Mindo now advances to the general election to face Republican Kymberly Pine, state House minority research director.

On Maui, retired corrections officer Kam Tanaka was slightly ahead of travel agent Greta McKelvey in the Democratic primary for the chance to face Republican Rep. Brian Blundell in the 10th House District covering West Maui.

Blundell ran into controversy in July when he was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting an undercover Honolulu police officer near Kapi'olani Park. He pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge this month, and the judge has scheduled a hearing after the November general election on whether to grant his request to defer accepting the no-contest plea, which would allow him to avoid a permanent criminal record.

On the Big Island, businessman Clifton Tsuji beat prison administrator Glen Hisashima in the Democratic race for the Hilo seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Eric Hamakawa.

Tsuji faces Republican Andy Smith, Gov. Linda Lingle's liaison for East Hawai'i, in the general election.

Rep. Helene Hale beat farmer Gerard Silva by a large margin in the race for the 4th House District (Puna). Hale advances to a general election contest against Republican Brian Jordan and Libertarian Dennis Triglia.

Freelance writer Stefanie Sakamoto narrowly defeated lawyer Sesnita Moepono in the Democratic primary for the 27th House District (Nu'uanu, Liliha, Pu'unui). Sakamoto goes up against freshman Republican Rep. Corinne Ching in the general election.

Democrat Richard Halverson beat Paul Ah Yat in the primary race for the 17th House District (Hawai'i Kai, Kalama). He faces incumbent Republican Rep. William Stonebraker in the general election.