Honolulu City Councilman Tom Berg will face off against state Rep. Kymberly Marcos Pine in the Nov. 6 general election as he fights to hang onto his seat.
Three other City Council seats were decided outright in Saturday’s nonpartisan primary election voting.
Kymberly Marcos Pine:
The state lawmaker
maintained her
comfortable lead
throughout the night
Incumbent Ikaika Anderson, whose City Council seat covers Waimanalo, Kailua and Kaneohe, easily clinched more than half of the vote to avoid a runoff.
Also elected outright were state Rep. Joey Manahan for the District 7 seat, which spans from Kalihi to Hickam Air Force Base, and veteran legislator and attorney Ron Menor for the District 9 seat, representing Mililani, Kunia and a portion of Ewa Beach.
Throughout the evening, Pine had a comfortable lead among the contenders for the District 1 seat, which includes the Leeward Coast, Kapolei and parts of Ewa Beach.
Pine said she was overjoyed with the showing, especially since she was the last candidate to throw her hat in the ring. She announced she would run for the seat in April.
“We had a lot of ground to cover,” she said.
Going into the primary election, Berg said he was optimistic but acknowledged it would be a tough race.
Tom Berg:
The District 1 Council
incumbent survived
the primary and will
face Pine in November
“I think unfortunately the candidate with the most money to sway the voter has the best chance,” he said. “My opponents have raised a lot more money than me.”
In all, five seats on the City Council were up for grabs this election cycle, four of which were contested in Saturday’s voting because they had more than two candidates in the race. (Incumbent Ann Kobayashi, who represents District 5, will face off against challenger James Hayes in the general election.)
In District 7, Manahan was able to secure an early lead against newcomer Martin Han. The district lacks an incumbent because City Councilman Romy Cachola has reached his two-term limit.
“I’m definitely grateful for all the support,” Manahan said.
In the run-up to the primaries, Han said he had been going door to door to hear voter concerns and to pledge greater transparency in government.
“This campaign is not about myself nor about my supporters, it’s about the community,” said Han, who worked in sales before becoming a full-time candidate.
There was also no incumbent in the race for the District 9 seat, as Councilman Nestor Garcia, first elected to the seat in 2002, has reached his two-term limit.
Menor took the lead early in the vote count, while Sy Cullen, a teacher at St. Joseph School, was a distant second. Also in the running for the seat Saturday were Dr. Inam Rahman and Vai Sua, president of a Waipahu security company.
Joey Manahan:
The state lawmaker
claimed the District 7
seat outright over
Martin Han
Menor has served several terms as a state legislator; he was first elected in 1982. He lost a Senate re-election bid in 2008 in the wake of a no-contest plea to a drunken-driving charge.
“We’ve worked very hard on this campaign,” said Menor, after clinching the Council seat. “We’re grateful that voters have given us another chance.”
In District 3, Anderson was well ahead of his two challengers throughout the night. “I’ll get back to work Monday morning,” he said, after it was clear he had won outright.
Anderson grabbed negative headlines earlier this year after the city Ethics Commission found he had violated ethics laws prohibiting favoritism and special treatment by trying to intimidate city parking workers over a parking violation warning.
Before the primaries, he said he had been canvassing the district to hear from voters and make it clear “we’re taking nothing for granted.”
By far the biggest nail-biter among City Council races heading into Saturday was the District 1 seat, which Berg has held since 2010. The former legislative aide and tea party activist won with 18 percent of the vote in a special election for the seat vacated by Todd Apo, who resigned to become director of public affairs at Disney’s Aulani Resort.
Political onlookers said Berg appeared vulnerable heading into the campaign, especially given that he was facing some well-known contenders.
During his time on the Council, Berg has garnered plenty of attention — some negative — for his outspoken and at times confrontational style.
Late Saturday, Berg said he was happy with his showing in the primaries, and added that whatever time he has left in office he’ll use to work against the city’s $5.26 billion rail project, which he staunchly opposes. “I just want … to help make sure we can stop rail,” he said.
Those running in the district believed the project could play a major — and perhaps deciding — role in the race for the City Council seat.
“It’s all about rail,” said Pine, who supports the project. “It’s almost like you’re talking about abortion. People are very emotional, on both sides.”
