Neither Democratic Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-1st (urban Honolulu) nor Republican Dalton Tanonaka faced an opponent in the primary.

In the 2nd District representing rural O'ahu and the Neighbor Islands, Democratic Rep. Ed Case and Republican Mike Gabbard finished well ahead of their party challengers.

In the U.S. Senate race, former state Rep. Cam Cavasso, 53, led in the Republican primary, but he is not considered a serious threat to unseat longtime Democratic Sen. Dan Inouye, who turned 80 this month and is considered one of Washington's most influential politicians.

Case, 51, an attorney who was born in Hilo, was expected to do particularly well outside of O'ahu because of his strong family history on the Neighbor Islands and regular visits there.

Gabbard, 56, made his name as founder of the Alliance for Traditional Marriage and Values, a group that led a successful effort to ban same-sex marriage in Hawai'i. He is leaving the Honolulu City Council after a single term to oppose Case. Gabbard is less known on the Neighbor Islands, but his face has become a familiar sight on thousands of posters and banners posted throughout the district.

Gabbard, who acknowledged last night that he has "an uphill climb" in trying to unseat Case, said his main task for the general election will be ramping up his ads to make voters aware of who he is and of his opponent's record in Congress, which Gabbard claimed is more "extremist" than people realize.

He also said that as a Republican, he would be more effective in the Republican-controlled House.

Case said that Gabbard is the one who represents an extreme political philosophy, one that is far to the right of Hawai'i's mainstream.

"Most conservatives would be liberal compared to him. There's a long, long way to his left," Case said.

The congressman said he will continue to run his campaign "on the ground," meeting voters face to face and emphasizing his experience and character.

In the urban Honolulu district, Tanonaka, 50, a former television newsman, said his campaign will target Abercrombie's congressional record. Particularly, the focus will be on votes that, according to Tanonaka, opposed resolutions supporting the Iraqi people and U.S. troops.

"Parents and veterans are not happy. If he is trying to make an anti-war statement, this is not the time to play political games," he said.

Tanonaka said that the time of rampant liberalism in Hawai'i has passed and that Abercrombie is "out of touch" with voters.

"What time is that and what am I out of touch with?" said Abercrombie, 66. "What's out of touch with jobs and getting projects here, and having an effective partnership with (Hawai'i's Democrats in) the House and Senate?"

The congressman, seeking his eighth consecutive term, said election results show the Republicans' get-out-the-vote campaign was a dud.

"They have a big hill to climb. What that means to me is that they are going to look at the turnout as grim, and (say) 'We're in for a rough six weeks,' " he said.