Riviere defeats Fale for Hee’s N. Shore seat

In the state Senate race to represent Oahu’s North Shore and most of the Windward Coast, voters elected a "keep the country country" candidate over his political rival, a House representative who maintained that viewpoint has dominated discussion in the region for too long.

Overall, voters across Hawaii cast ballots in 11 state Senate seats up for grabs this year. They elected two new senators Tuesday with the departure of state Sen. Malama Solomon, who lost her reelection bid in the Democratic primary, and Sen. Clayton Hee, a Democrat who lost his bid in August for lieutenant governor.

The race for Hee’s seat featured a rematch between House Rep. Richard Fale (R, Waialua-Kahuku-Waiahole) and former House Rep. Gilbert Riviere, two candidates with stark policy differences for a diverse region stretching from Heeia to Kaena point.

Riviere defeated Fale by a 5,319-to-4,854 vote margin, with most votes counted late Tuesday night.

In 2012, Fale unseated Riviere in the Republican primary for the House district he represents. Riviere returned as a Democrat and both candidates faced off again Tuesday. 

"Why would we want to urbanize our agricultural land? Are we serious about promoting agricultural land or not? This is a test," Riviere, a director at the nonprofit "Keep the North Shore Country," said.

He cited "the rural nature of our district" as one of his driving concerns. With too much residential and commercial development, "It’s not the North Shore anymore, is it?" he said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Fale said he believes that the "’keep the country country’ crew has been in the driver’s seat for so long" and that has "been a disservice … because we have schools that are falling apart and families that are living in poverty." Residents there need jobs that would come with some expanded development, he added.

Fale is a supporter of "Envision La’ie," a proposed plan to bring more residential development on land managed by Hawaii Reserves Inc. The effort has touched off debate and controversy in the community, with many worried it will transform the region’s rural identity into something else.

Fale said Tuesday that those who live there badly need more workforce housing and economic opportunity.

Riviere said he opposes developing homes at Malaekahana, which he said would be part of the "Envision La’ie" plan. 

However, both candidates said they supported a $48.5 million deal between the state and Turtle Bay Resort earlier this year to preserve more than 665 acres from development.

Fale raised $78,626 for the election cycle while Riviere raised $62,951.

On Hawaii island, voters elected former senator and mayor Lorraine Inouye to Senate District 4 (D, Kaupulehu-Waimea-North Hilo). Inouye defeated Solomon by 15 percentage points in the primary this past August. She also challenged Solomon in the 2012 primary, when she lost by 69 votes.

With most votes counted and all precincts reporting, Inouye received 72.4 percent of the vote to Libertarian Alain Schiller’s 20.5 percent. Some 7 percent of the votes were left blank.

Back on Oahu, incumbent Sen. Michelle Kidani (D, Mililani-Waikele-Kunia) staved off challengers Dennis Kim, a Republican, and Raymond Banda III, a Libertarian. Kidani serves as vice chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and raised a commanding $245,073 for the election cycle. That’s compared with Kim’s $33,596 and Banda’s $1,005 for the cycle.

Last year’s special session in which legislators voted to legalize same-sex marriage was an issue in the race. Kidani voted in favor of the measure. Kim, an insurance agent and estate planner, has served as the public affairs director for the Mormon church in Hawaii.  

Kidani received 54.5 percent of the vote to Kim’s 39 percent and Banda’s 2 percent. More than 4 percent of the votes were left blank.

Senators have tentatively scheduled a caucus for Wednesday to discuss potentially reorganizing the 25-member body. Senate President Donna Mercado Kim is expected to retain her leadership, Senate sources say.

The remaining incumbents up for re-election, all Democrats, cruised to victory:

>> Sen. Josh Green (D, Naalehu-Kailua-Kona) received more than 76 percent of the vote to Libertarian Michael Last’s 16.2 percent. Nearly 8 percent of the votes were left blank.

>> Sen. Gilbert Kahele (D, Hilo) won 79 percent of the vote to Libertarian Gregory Arianoff’s 12.6 percent, with 8.4 percent of the votes were left blank.

>> Sen. Gilbert Keith-Agaran (D, Waihee-Wailuku-Kahului) received about 65 percent of the vote to Republican Joe Kamaka’s 27.5 percent. Nearly 8 percent of the votes were left blank.

>> Sen. Roz Baker (D, West Maui-South Maui) received nearly 57 percent of the vote to Republican Jared Dubois’ 23 percent, with 9.4 percent of the votes left blank.

>> Sen. Brickwood Galuteria (D, Kakaako-McCully-Waikiki) received 53.4 percent of the vote to Republican Chris Lethem’s 37.8 percent. Nearly 9 percent of the votes were left blank.

>> Sen. Maile Shimabukuro (D, Kalaeloa-Waianae-Makaha) garnered nearly 65 percent of the vote to Republican Tercia Ku’s 30.6 percent, with 4.5 percent of the votes left blank.

>> Sen. Jill Tokuda (D, Kailua-Kaneohe) won nearly 71 percent of the vote to Republican Kilomana Michael Danner’s 24 percent, with about 5 percent left blank.

>> Sen. Clarence Nishihara (D, Waipahu-Pearl City) gained nearly 65 percent of the vote to Independent Roger Clemente’s 27.5 percent, and 7.6 percent left blank.

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Star-Advertiser reporters Richard Borreca and Derrick DePledge contributed to this report.