While many of the challengers in the state Board of Education races focused on a message of change, last night's results showed strong support for experienced board members seeking re-election.

Incumbents on the state Board of Education took solid leads when preliminary results of yesterday's primary election were released.

Incumbents Lei Ahu Isa and Garrett Toguchi were in the lead for the O'ahu at-large seats, followed by former state Rep. Terrance Tom and former BOE Chairman Randall Yee.

Close behind were K. Darrow Aiona, a retired sociology professor, and Janis Akuna, a certified financial planner. Those six candidates appeared to be moving on to the general election in November, where the top three vote getters will win seats on the board.

"With education possibly facing $40 million in budget cuts, it's important to have someone with experience on the board and especially those who have been on the board through tough times," Toguchi said.

Sensing a stiff challenge from the seven other candidates, Ahu Isa said she decided to run TV ads as well as Internet ads to get out her message of budget efficiency and accountability.

"I'm really confident," Ahu Isa said.

In the hotly contested race for the Honolulu seat, incumbent Denise Matsumoto, who has been on the BOE since 1988, took a wide lead over Carol Mon Lee, former associate dean of the University of Hawai'i William S. Richardson School of Law.

"I'm hoping this is because (voters) remember that I have been very effective on the board," Matsumoto said.

Mon Lee focused much of her campaign message on the need for "new blood" on the board.

"I'm hoping that the voters agree that it's time for a change. Right now, we'll have to wait and see," Mon Lee said early in the evening.

Following the second printout of results yesterday evening, it appeared that Matsumoto and Mon Lee were heading for a runoff in the general election.

On the Big Island, incumbent Herbert Watanabe, who has been on the board since 1996, took a wide lead over the three other challengers for his seat. Waimea businessman Bill Sanborn was a distant second.

Watanabe said that with the Department of Education facing more budget cuts, "knowledge and experience is key." Watanabe said he has been a strong voice on the board for keeping cuts from affecting the classroom.

The Board of Education consists of 14 members who oversee a budget of more than $2 billion for the state Department of Education and set education policy for the state.

Six incumbents are up for re-election with one of them, Breene Harimoto, elected outright since no one is challenging him for his seat as the Leeward O'ahu board member.

For the Honolulu and Big Island races, the top two vote recipients will move on to the general election in November.

Severe budget cuts to Hawai'i public schools undoubtedly will be the biggest issue that the next Board of Education will have to address.

Already, the state Department of Education had slashed some $20 million from its budget, including $10.2 million cut by lawmakers this past legislative session. The board also recently approved $9.3 million in cuts to meet 4 percent across-the-board budget reductions imposed by the governor.

The BOE also will have to address other key issues over the next year, including teacher drug testing, establishing a fair and equitable funding formula for public schools and declining test scores.

Because longtime board member and former U.S. Rep. Cec Heftel had chosen not to seek re-election to his O'ahu at-large seat, even if all six of the other incumbents return to office, there will be at least one new person on the board.

Other board members not up for re-election this year include O'ahu at-large members Kim Coco Iwamoto, Karen Knudsen and Donna Ikeda; Central district member Eileen Clark; Windward district member John Penebacker; and Maui district member Mary Cochran.