Iwase leaped ahead in his Democratic primary race against Wai'anae harbormaster William Aila and extended his lead in the second returns.

Van K. Tanabe is a distant third in the Democratic primary.

Hawai'i has always re-elected an incumbent governor since the last GOP governor, the late William Quinn, lost in his re-election bid to John Burns in 1962.

Since then, Democrats have controlled the governorship until Lingle defeated Democratic candidate Mazie Hirono in 2002.

Iwase tonight acknowledged that he is an underdog against Lingle, who campaigning for a second and final four-year term.

But he said Burns was also considered an underdog before he defeated Quinn.

"We feel very energized by the results thus far, and we're going to keep campaigning," he said.

Aila was at his home at Lualualei Homestead Road with about 200 supporters, who grew quiet when the first results were announced.

"But we prepared them for that," Aila said.

He said he'll support Iwase in trying to unseat Lingle and thinks the Democratic candidate can win.

"I think Randy can beat Lingle if the Democratic Party comes together," he said. "I think I could beat Lingle if the Democratic Party comes together."

Iwase downplayed the large number of voters who chose a Democratic ballot but did not vote for governor. He said his message has reached voters in cutting down the number of blank ballots.

In the lieutenant governor's Democratic race, former state Sen. Malama Solomon defeated three other candidates — lifeguard instructor Miles Shiratori, public-interest lawyer David Henkin and state park caretaker Michael Mook.

Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, 51, ran unopposed to join Lingle on the Republican ticket.

Solomon, 55, a state senator from 1982 to 1998 and an Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee from 1980 to 1982, will join Iwase on the Democratic ticket.

Iwase, 58, raised more money than Aila and had more name recognition than the Wai'anae Boat Harbor master, who was running for elective office for the first time. Iwase resigned his job as chairman of the state Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board to underscore his commitment in running for governor.

A member of the Honolulu city council from 1985 to 1988 and a state senator who represented the Mililani area from 1990 to 2000, Iwase raised more than $236,000, according to his latest campaign spending report.

The amount is still a fraction of the record-breaking $6 million Lingle raised for her re-election, the most for an election here.

Meanwhile, Aila, 48, who characterized himself as a working-class candidate focusing on grass-roots support, raised about $46,000.