Residents of Central O'ahu, from Mililani to Waipahu and Pearl City, are feeling the pressures of growth — increased traffic, crowded schools and vast new housing developments to the west.

And while the planned rail transit system is largely a city affair, development around the rail stations will be a major undertaking and require input and communication across the board.

It's important that the community's elected representatives understand, empathize and take an active role in ensuring that the concerns of the community are heard in the push for progress and a better quality of life.

Two Senate races, for Districts 17 and 18, have only Democratic contenders and will be decided in the Sept. 20 Primary Election.

In Senate District 18 (Waipahu, Crestview, Pearl City), voters have a choice between two well-known names: three-term state Rep. Alex Sonson, D-35th (Pearl City, Waipahu) and the incumbent, Sen. Clarence Nishihara.

The candidate best suited to represent the community and meet the area's challenges is incumbent Clarence Nishihara.

After a long career as a public school teacher and administrator, the rookie politician won his seat in 2004 by offering a refreshingly clean, reform-minded alternative to then-Sen. Cal Kawamoto, who was fined after a campaign-spending investigation.

Like many freshman lawmakers, Nishihara has relied on developing relationships both in and out of the Capitol to help advance the interests of his constituents and the state. Nishihara, chairman of the Senate Tourism and Government Operations committee, worked on successful projects — big and small — to benefit the area. Among them: $135 million for the UH-West O'ahu campus; vocational training through a Building Industry Association center in Waipahu; and increased funding for the Leeward YMCA.

Nishihara's firsthand knowledge of the state's education system gives him an advantage in a community where schools are under increased pressure to perform better with less.

Nishihara's active and dedicated participation in community affairs demonstrates he has lived up to the principles that got him elected in 2004. He deserves another term.

In the second Senate race, for District 17 (Mililani, Wai-pi'o), the choices are among longtime community leader Michelle Kidani; college student and Mililani Neighborhood Board member Resa R.K. Tsuneyoshi; and the incumbent, Ron Menor.

In this case, experience and a solid record of service make the choice clear: Ron Menor, with more than 20 years in the House and Senate, is the best candidate for the job.

Menor, chairman of the Senate Energy and Environment committee, has advocated for progressive energy and environmental policies, including recycling redemption centers at big-box retailers, stronger renewable-energy initiatives and a ban on plastic grocery bags.

He has supported rail and other transportation improvements to ease the commuting woes of Central O'ahu residents.

He has also been a strong consumer advocate, pushing for reforms in health insurance, prescription drug programs and patients' rights. He also made a determined, but ultimately unsuccessful, effort to bring relief from high gas prices through a gasoline price cap.

One of Menor's challenges this election will be confronting his DUI arrest in April. While he apologized and accepted his sentence, he should expect voters to hold him to his word that it won't happen again and that he will demonstrate his self-described position as "a strong supporter of DUI laws."

Protecting and improving the quality of life in both of these Senate districts will require legislators with knowledge, experience and enthusiasm for public service. Both Menor and Nishihara are up to the task.