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Kymberly Pine (left), Peter Carlisle
Honolulu Councilwoman Kymberly Pine won’t have to face a challenger in November — she won re-election outright in Saturday’s primary race with a commanding 65 percent of the vote.
Hers was the only Council seat contested Saturday, with four candidates vying for it. (Council contests with only two candidates advance directly to November’s general election.) Pine’s district, which includes the Waianae Coast and other parts of West Oahu, is strongly affected by one of the race’s hottest issues: rail. Future home construction, such as the controversial Hoopili project, is also debated there.
Pine’s challengers were Makakilo resident and longtime educator Kioni Dudley, and a political rival whom Pine unseated in 2012, former Councilman Tom Berg. Kapolei resident Marc Anthony also ran.
Dudley got a 17 percent share of the vote and Berg got a 14 percent share, excluding blank and over votes. Anthony had about 4 percent.
“We’re very proud of the work we’ve done for people,” Pine said while awaiting results. The councilwoman has voted in support of rezoning farmland for the 11,750-unit Hoopili housing project.
She’s also a staunch supporter of completing the full 20 miles of the rail project and often advocates in public for the cash-strapped elevated transit line, saying it would improve the quality of life in Leeward Oahu.
On Saturday, Pine said what her constituents ultimately want are more opportunities on the island’s west side.
“My opponents made rail the biggest issue, but when I talk to people they want jobs close to their homes. They want to spend more time with their families,” Pine said. “They just want the true promise of the second city” — a reference to the development of Kapolei.
Opposing view
Meanwhile, Dudley said that during the primary campaign he found traffic to be the No. 1 issue in the district.
“I’ve campaigned for years … and I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Dudley, who has previously run for state representative, governor, lieutenant governor and city councilman. “My feeling is people are really responding to that issue.”
Dudley is a staunch critic of Hoopili and has called for a moratorium on new housing developments in West and Central Oahu.
“If we could stop building and get the new freeway lane in, we could straighten out the traffic that we’ve got right now,” Dudley said Saturday while awaiting results. He supports building the elevated rail pathway to downtown but opposes running it to Ala Moana because he believes “the last five stops are going to be underwater” in several decades.
“The whole city government is bought by the development community,” Dudley added. “I really want to turn things around and put people first and give them their lives back.”
Neither Berg nor Anthony could be reached for comment Saturday.
Councilman Ikaika Anderson, running unopposed to represent districts in Windward Oahu, also secured his re-election to a second four-year term Saturday.
People like fluff.
Dudley is so right about Pine and the Council being easily bought off by developers, unions. investors, etc. I guess it has always been thus.
No show won!!!! amazing that Oahu has that many people who don’t think. Both Tom Berg or Mr. Dudley would have been a much better choice but no the unions on Oahu now have a bought and paid for Council person. This is why our government in Hawaii is in a shambles & nobody votes. We are so sc-*re*$wed again.
Staradvertiser has refused to publish over 50 submittals this past year to them that I have written – covering the truth about rail and superior technology of urban maglev to solve and save the day without needing any more funds…..not one letter will they print of mine illustrating the truth about this scam of a rail con…….I have submitted over 24 feature guest columns…..not one published……they feature truths such as the city breaching the state constitution mandate of law whereby the Oahu General Plan shall be reviewed and voted upon every five years- they refused to do such in 2007, when it was required- and still not done to this day- why? Answer- so the city could illegally reclassify Important Ag Land such as Koa Ridge and Hoopili into urban development before the public can amend its urban growth boundaries- WE HAVE BEEN DISENFRANCHISED…. when this newspaper reporter Marcel Honore claims here IN THIS ARTICLE THAT I could not be reached for comment- he again, is a swindling liar like this rag of a newspaper…..no one contacted me…..I ain’t full of sour grapes, rather, amazed at how a people can look the other way when government lies with a smile…. for another breach- Pine claimed and backed a report to the FTA that rail would not displace any productive farmland — fact- when at Hoopili one can garner between $100,000 to $200,000 per acre/six crops a year….and the city told the feds that this land that rail would go through was worthless, unproductive farmland so as to avoid having to mitigate its loss……so go ahead, elect con artists and thieves and pueo killers……sleep tight District One knowing you have sold the future to the biggest con artist liar itself, namely, a woman called Pine who just conned the crap out of the voters- using PRP funds of course embraced by Marcel Honore who as a reporter, is another dishonest individual hiding from the truth—–not one bit of news they would publish regarding the two new urban maglev rail projects that went up in S. Korea and China within the last six months…..maglev rail costs only $65 million a mile to construct and is quiet- feds approve of it too…..our steel wheel noisy beast is to cost over $400 million a mile but this newspaper will not let you know of real solutions I can, and could have brought forth for all of us…..instead, got graft?
I hope all you out there are happy. You cast your ballots, now you have to live with it.
It’s more like too many people don’t bother to vote.
Pretty obvious 99% of career politicians here don’t win with a solid mandate. Except maybe Ige when he ousted Crumbie.
sore loser. go back to your cave.
Yup, sounds like that to me!
Did you ever get your phone back from APEC?
Wiki leaks have has his phone.
Why can’t the NO commentors house Berg at their house. Hawaii Kai needs a Berg. Kailua needs a Berg! Kalaheo Ave and Lanikai needs a Berg.
Yikes! Tom, you might want to check that your cell phone’s voice mailbox is working properly. I called your number a couple of times last night while awaiting voting results and got no answer, just one of those generic messages saying that the user hasn’t set up their voice mail. I found that curious, so I checked to confirm that the number I called, provided by a coworker, matched the number listed in your campaign filings. (It did.) So I’m not sure where our wires got crossed but the histrionics above don’t cover it. Just to clarify. Happy Sunday all!
Gordon Pang reached me the other week- my staradvertiser election submittal published online in your own newspaper also lists the correct phone number- you did not call that number.
Those opposed to the witch should have flipped a coin to see who would run against her. It might have made a difference.
My entries are being blocked – are we back in the USSR ?
Mr. Berg, you tried but you may as well be talking to a wall. It’s too bad, because obviously there are some in you district that have a clue, just not enough.
Tom your constituents have REJECTED you. I mean Dudley got more votes that you. Go away already.
The BEACH is BACK! Lock your doors, gather your kids, load your shot guns and AF-15’s, add 911 on your speed dial, wear ear protection, sharpen your knives, hide your hard liquor, and keep your cell phone camera ready.
Tom, the voters of your district have spoken. Apparently they prefer a corrupt local filipino over a crazy white guy from the mainland. Perhaps you’re in the wrong district? or county?
Guess we get more of the same, choke neck traffic that only gets worse and passive ineffective solutions. To the folks of West Oahu that voted for Pine, don’t complain about traffic, infrastructure problems, and crowds. You voted for it!
cholo did not so cholo will complain
NO show Pine is a disgrace to intelligent people as she is bought and paid for by the Unions and will serve herself not us the working people.
The West Oahu voters have begun to restore my faith in the collective intelligence of the electorate. I hope the two gentlemen go gently into that good night.
Collective intelligence? Have you ever noticed that the majority of people working in Walmart, aren’t qualified to RUN Walmart?
What does a white super super market have to do with voters? Stockpiled with China goods?
Am I confused or is your racism showing today??
Dudley and Berg should have jointed together to unseat Pine. But unfortunately, there apparently too many in that district that just do not get it and put Pine back in for another four years.
Pine is just your typical politician who is bought and paid for.
Hope the Berg goes floating off into cooler northern waters.