The challenge by state Rep. Alex Sonson to fellow Democrat and incumbent state Sen. Clarence Nishihara poses one of the more intriguing match-ups of the Sept. 20 primary night.

Nishihara, 65, is finishing up his first term representing the 18th Senate District, which includes nearly all of Waipahu, Crestview and parts of Pearl City. A lifelong educator with no previous political experience but many community ties, he knocked off then-incumbent Cal Kawamoto in 2004.

Sonson, 48, tried several times to win a seat in the House before winning election to represent House District 35 (Waipahu, Crestview) in 2002. Since then, he has won re-election twice before forgoing a run for a fourth term to challenge Nishihara.

The winner of the primary will occupy the seat since no one else filed papers for the race.

BOTH EXPERIENCED

The contest is being closely watched not just because it's rare that an incumbent representative steps out to challenge an incumbent senator in this state, but because both men are established politically.

Nishihara is a key ally to state Sen. President Colleen Hanabusa. He chairs the Senate Tourism and Government Operations Committee and is vice chairman of the Public Safety Committee.

Sonson, considered a maverick within the Democratic majority of the House, has chaired the House Labor and Public Employment Committee.

Sonson first announced his decision to challenge Nishihara nearly 17 months ago.

"I should have done this four years ago," he said. Kawamoto talked him out of it, he said. "I thought I was ready then. Right now, it's a no-brainer to me because I've learned so much over the years. To me, it's going to be a waste to have Clarence stay there for another four years while I'm over here doing things."

Nishihara has countered that his four years in the Senate, and the ties he has built in that time make him the more-qualified candidate.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Sonson pointed to his support of the adult residential care-home industry, a key issue for the Waipahu community which has a large percentage of care and foster homes. A 2006 bill he co-authored provided more state subsidy for caregivers.

"They so deserve it because they reduce our cost (to taxpayers) each time they take someone into their homes," he said.

Nishihara said he is most proud of shepherding through a 2007 bill that established a "rainy day fund" for the Hawai'i Tourism Authority that allows the agency broad discretion to spend up to $5 million annually for emergency situations. That came in handy in the days following the announcement that Aloha Airlines was shutting down, he said.

Nishihara said his top priority is helping fix the economy — both in terms of finding ways to prevent the further loss of jobs and helping consumers combat the high cost of living in an island state.

"I don't have a magic bullet idea that says if we do this one thing, we're going to turn this economy around," he said. "We'll have to do a whole lot of things."

One is finding a way to bring down the high cost of shipping fuel into this state, he said. Nishihara also wants to look at tax credits or rebates for those businesses most affected by the higher fuel costs.

Sonson said his main priority as a senator would be to continue his fight to eliminate transitional homes for prisoners, which he said is a growing problem for the Waipahu community. The responsibility of rehabilitating prisoners and transitioning them back to society should be more with the state Department of Public Safety, he said.

"Public Safety should take care of prisoners until they are safe to be released into our community," Sonson said. "Not to let the community prepare them to be released into the community. It's a bad idea."

CORRECTION

Rep. Corinne Ching, R-27th (Nu'uanu, Pu'unui), was never arrested and did not plead "no contest" to drunken-driving charges. A story on Page 10 of the 2008 Primary Election Voters' Guide was inaccurate.