The race for the City Council seat representing Windward O'ahu started heating up weeks ago, with two challengers — retired bank manager Wilson Ho and retired small business owner Leigh Prentiss — campaigning hard against Council chairwoman Barbara Marshall.

But in early returns, Marshall took a wide lead in the 3rd District race.

Ho grabbed a far second, followed by Prentiss.

Marshall, 64, who is battling colon cancer, said before the polls opened that she was working hard to hold on to her seat and that her illness wouldn't affect her ability to complete the tasks of council office. She has acknowledged that she has been forced to miss some council hearings because of her illness, and might have to miss more. But she said she is up to the job.

Marshall has been on the council since 2002 and said she was hopeful — "but never confident" — going into the election. "We'll have a lot of people at the polls," Marshall said.

Prentiss, who went up against Marshall once before in 2004, said she has been campaigning from sunup to sundown for weeks for the City Council seat that represents Kailua, Kane'ohe, and Waimanalo. The 61-year-old and her supporters were sign waving and knocking on doors up until the primaries. She has also been running ads in local newspapers and holding get-togethers.

"Our message is out there," said Prentiss, 61.

Ho, who is 66, said he has also been canvassing neighborhoods.

"Everything is push, push, push until Saturday," he said.

Just like in Windward O'ahu, the primary contest for the 7th District (Aliamanu, Airport, Kalihi) and 9th District (Waipahu, Mililani, Makakilo) City Council seats drew two challengers each trying to unseat an incumbent.

In the race for the 7th District, City Councilman Romy Cachola appeared ready to skate through the primaries in a contest against Lynn Vasquez-Dela Cerna, a longtime community advocate and Lillian Hong, a jewelry store owner.

Cachola, 70, has been on the Council since 2000, and was well ahead of his challengers in early returns.

"I know the issues affecting O'ahu and have over 24 years of experience in public service," he told the Advertiser. "I seek to continue to improve the quality of life for all citizens."

Vasquez-Dela Cerna acknowledged her candidacy was a longshot.

But, she said, she wasn't giving up until the polls closed.

"I really want to help the community," she said.

In the race for the 7th District seat, Councilman Nestor Garcia also took a big lead in early returns. He said before the polls opened that he was "cautiously optimistic" about his chances of garnering another term. "I'm campaigning," Garcia said. "I never take my opposition lightly. Hopefully, the record will speak for itself."

Garcia was up against Lance Widner, a 32-year-old First Hawaiian Bank assistance vice president, and Emil Svrcina, a 46-year-old computer specialist at the Cancer Research Center.

Candidates for City Council win outright in the primary election if they receive more than half of the vote. Otherwise, the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff in the general election.