New voting districts retain incumbent pairings

The state Reapportionment Commission unveiled Tuesday new boundary lines for Oahu House districts to deal with objections from critics who argued the latest lines divided communities and were favorable to current leadership in the House.

"I think after the second look we feel good, and I think we made the most of the opportunities to try and address some of the concerns that were brought up," said Dylan Nonaka, a member of the commission’s technical committee that drew up the maps.

A final vote on proposals for the redistricting plans is set for Thursday.

The new maps make some changes from a proposal presented last week but still place seven pairs of incumbents in the same districts — six in the House, one in the Senate.

The commission reviewed the House maps after a dissident faction of House Demo­crats accused it of gerrymandering by drawing new districts favorable to Speaker Calvin Say.

The dissident faction, which has been trying to oust Say as speaker, said new districts placed more of their members in races against other incumbents and inserted more of their members into districts with large numbers of constituents new to them.

Nonaka dismissed that criticism, saying, "That should not be the goal or purpose of redistricting — to preserve as many voters as possible for an incumbent."

Dissidents say they plan to study the latest maps in detail and that they continue to weigh all options, including a lawsuit. The commission rejected a proposal dissidents submitted.

Under previous maps, five House dissidents had contested races with other incumbents; the number remains the same under the new proposals.

Two of the head-to-head matchups in the House would change, compared with the previous map.

Dissident Rep. Scott Saiki (D, Moiliili-McCully) would be in the same district as dissident Rep. Scott Nishimoto (D, Kaimuki-Waikiki), and dissident Rep. Jessica Wooley (D, Laie-Kahuku) would be placed in the same district as Rep. Pono Chong (D, Maunawili-Kaneohe), the House majority leader.

Other House races would involve Reps. Mark Nakashima (D, Hawi-Hilo), a dissident, and Jerry Chang (D, Piihonua-Kaumana); Reps. Kymberly Pine (R, Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point) and Rida Cabanilla (D, Waipahu-Ewa); Reps. Mark Hashem (D, Hahaione Valley-Aina Haina) and Barbara Marumoto (R, Kalani Valley-Diamond Head); and Reps. K. Mark Takai (D, Newtown-Pearl City), a dissident, and Heather Giugni (Aiea-Pearl City).

Six House districts would have no incumbents.

Senate maps remain unchanged from the proposal presented Feb. 15, with a Senate seat moving from Oahu to Hawaii island, based on population gains there. Sens. Carol Fukunaga (D, Lower Makiki-Punchbowl) and Brian Taniguchi (D, Moiliili-Manoa) would be in the same district, with an open seat in the new Puna-South Hilo-Volcano Senate district.

The commission’s initial plan was tossed out Jan. 4 by the state Supreme Court, which agreed with Hawaii island plaintiffs who argued that too many nonpermanent residents were included in the population base used to draw boundaries.