With 16 candidates offering vastly different talents, skills and experiences, voters in the Honolulu City Council’s District 6 cannot grumble about a lack of choices when it comes to replacing Tulsi Gabbard.

Gabbard resigned in August to focus on her congressional campaign, triggering a one-time, winner-take-all special election to pick someone to fill the remaining two years on the term.

The field boasts three people who have held elective office, two other hopefuls who are related to people who have or currently hold office, several who have vied for political posts in the past, and high-profile community advocates making their first foray into elective politics.

Conventional wisdom says candidates with familiar names fare best when there is a large field. If that’s the case, veteran state Sen. Carol Fukunaga and former Councilman Jon Yoshimura have the best chance of winning the seat.

Both candidates are seeking redemption in their own way.

Fukunaga, 64, was a state senator for 20 years representing Makiki, Ala Moana and Punchbowl. She lost to fellow incumbent Sen. Brian Taniguchi in August’s Democratic primary after reapportionment placed them both in the same district.

She has lived in Makiki, just outside the District 6 boundaries, but is moving several blocks into the neighborhood. Fukunaga touts her experience and consensus-building skills while in the Legislature as reasons she should be elected.

Fukunaga estimated about one-third of her current 11th Senate District is part of the new Council District 6.

"Just about every issue we have in my senatorial district involves city and state kinds of solutions, so this is really kind of the next step," Fukunaga said when she filed her nomination papers in August.

Yoshimura, 53, held what was the District 6 seat from 1995 to 2002, part of that time as Council chairman. Yoshimura cited his experience and familiarity with the district as the main reason voters should pick him.

"This is a race for a two-year term, so we don’t have any time electing someone to have on-the-job training," Yoshimura said in announcing his candidacy.

Yoshimura, barred from seeking a third consecutive Council term because of term limits, ran for a state Senate seat that he lost to Republican Gordon Trimble by nearly 1,600 votes. Months earlier, in April 2002, Yoshimura was suspended from practicing law for six months for lying to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel about drinking before a 1999 hit-and-run traffic accident involving a parked car.

Yoshimura told reporters at an August news conference that he wants voters to give him another chance.

Sam Aiona, 46, last held a House seat in 1998 and has run unsuccessfully in several other elections since.

Aiona said he views himself as the most high-profile option for those who oppose the city’s $5.26 billion rail project, noting that both Yoshimura and Fukunaga unwaveringly support rail.

Aiona, an independent contractor in the human resources industry, said if someone with higher name recognition had entered the field, he likely would not have run.

"I have the political experience to help those who are opposed to rail," said Aiona, a former chairman of the Hawaii Republican Party.

Not surprisingly, the three former elected officials are among those who have spent the most money on their campaigns so far, according to reports they were required to file with the Campaign Spending Commission last week.

Fukunaga leads the field with $66,947 in expenditures through Oct. 22, followed by Yoshimura with $63,850 and Aiona with $41,277.

Three others who have managed to scrape up money to put out the word on their campaigns are first-time candidates Chu Lan Shubert-Kwock, a businesswoman and outspoken advocate for the Chinatown business community; May Mizuno, the wife of state Rep. John Mizuno; and Kevin Nakasato, whose father was a state senator.

Shubert-Kwock reported expenditures of $30,439 so far, which does not include $24,361 in in-kind expenses that her campaign listed as loans. Mizuno reported $23,041 in expenditures.

Shubert-Kwock, 61, said this political campaign, her first, is a natural extension after 30 years of helping people in her community.

"I have life experience as a businesswoman," she said. "I understand the difficulty of owning a business, meeting payroll, budgeting."

Mizuno, 42, listed $26,756 that has been spent on her election campaign to date.

Chief of staff at her husband’s legislative office the past six years, Mizuno chose to run after state election officials said her husband could not. She said she believes the experience of authoring legislation and networking with other lawmakers gives her the heads up on other candidates.

"I feel now is the time for me to step forward and serve," she said in a Star-Advertiser questionnaire.

Kevin Nakasato, 43, is the son of former state Sen. Dennis Nakasato. He listed $1,085 in expenditures to date, which did not include $20,583 in loans from his mother, Jean Nakasato.

An insurance agent, Nakasato said he sets himself apart from the others because he is a fresh face and is "not going to be a career politician." He said he will make it a priority to work cooperatively with the mayor and other Council members.

"I bring people together on what they can agree on," he said.

A host of other first-time candidates also have interesting backgrounds.

Christopher "Nova" Smith, 40, is an active supporter of Occupy Honolulu and a familiar figure at Thomas Square, where the group has been a constant presence over the past year. Because he intends to spend less than $1,000 on his campaign, he did not file a spending report.

Smith, who arrived in Hono­lulu from Chicago last year, cites 21 years as an environmental and citizen activist among the key qualities he would bring to City Hall.

"I have a very good understanding of what needs to be addressed to make Honolulu more sustainable," he said.

Aaron Rutledge, 42, is the son of former union boss Tony Rutledge and the grandson of the legendary labor figure Art Rutledge. The operator of beach concessionaire Star Beachboys, he reported $11,233 in expenses — all of it from his own pocket.

Rutledge gave a unique take on why he feels he’s best qualified to be on the Council: "I have the most kids." The father of 10, he is expecting his 11th child this week.

Another first-time candidate is Jason Suapaia, the president of 1013 Integrated, formerly Pacific Focus, a film and video production company. He reported spending $1,908 on the election.

Suapaia, 40, said in his questionnaire that his 14 years "managing personnel, developing business strategies, cultivating partnerships and overseeing finances" would bring valuable and unique skills to the Council.

Steve Miller, 49, is also making his first try at politics. He is owner of Denwa Hawaii, which specializes in business telephone and voice mail systems.

Miller said he is jumping into politics now because he is frustrated with the way city government is run and the bad decisions politicians make. He said his focus would be on trying to get government out of the way of businesses trying to make a living.

"They put restrictions I think are unnecessary," he said.

Ryan Kapuniai and Dr. Inam Rahman lost their bids for other offices in the August primary, but made quick turnarounds to vie in District 6.

Kapuniai, 33, who runs his own consulting firm, finished third in his bid for the Democratic nomination for the 26th District state House seat. Kapuniai said he is the youngest candidate and lists as one of his top priorities the repeal of the 2010 fireworks ban.

Rahman, 61, is a medical doctor with an office in Liliha. He finished fourth among four candidates in the August run-off for the Council District 9 seat covering Waipahu and Ewa.

He has run for various other offices since 2004.

C. Kaui Jochanan Amsterdam, Jim Brewer, Bob Vieira and Arvid Youngquist have all previously run for office.

Amsterdam, 68, describes himself as an educator and business owner who wants to incorporate the concept of "shaloha," a blend of shalom and aloha, in everything from potholes and other local issues to international relations.

Brewer, 72, is a veteran citizen advocate and broadcaster. The perennial candidate said he objects to "big politics" and would advocate for affordable housing and better services for the homeless, children and bus riders.

Vieira, 78, owns a real estate and property management company and formerly was an executive with Hawaiian Electric. Vieira, who ran unsuccessfully for the District 6 seat in 2010, counts his time on neighborhood boards and other community involvement as a key reason he should be elected.

Youngquist, 64, is a retired civil servant now working as an office assistant at the state Department of Transportation. Previously a candidate for the Board of Education and Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the veteran community activist said he’s the only one of the 16 candidates who has served on the downtown, Kalihi/Palama and Liliha/Puunui/Alewa/ Kamehameha Heights neighborhood boards.