There are political institutions and then there is Ann Kobayashi, the Honolulu City Council chairwoman, who in two stretches has served for 17 years on the Council.

Before that, Kobayashi had served 14 years in the state Senate.

Councilmembers are now limited to two four-year terms. But Kobayashi served the remaining three-plus years of the late Councilman Duke Bainum’s 2002 term, then ran for and won two more terms.

Before that she served a separate Council term after filling out the special election called to replace former Councilman Andy Mirikitani, who had been convicted of federal public corruption charges.

Now at 83, Kobayashi says she is looking forward to retirement when her term ends at the end of the year. She could then easily slip into a life of being constantly toasted by her many admirers.

Longtime political friend and former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa calls Kobayashi an early rallying point for women in politics.

“I will never believe that Ann Kobayashi will ever retire. Can you imagine what she has experienced and endured throughout her political career? She epitomizes the word resiliency and symbolizes what women politicians, especially Japanese-American women, endured,” Hanabusa said.

“People can’t guess her age or the fact that she’s a cancer survivor by the energy and personal commitment to her constituents that she shows,” Hanabusa said.

Calling her “one of a kind who will be missed,” former Gov. Ben Cayetano described Kobayashi as “honest, idealistic, trustworthy — her word is her bond; great friend and loyal ally.”

“She is totally committed to doing what she thought was in the public’s best interests, regardless of the political cost,” Cayetano said in an interview.

Kobayashi started elected office as a Republican, representing Manoa in the state Senate. She had worked for former GOP Sen. Wadsworth Yee and was attracted to the GOP message of fiscal restraint. As the debate with the party over abortion intensified, it finally forced her and several other women GOP lawmakers to leave the party.

“We were at odds with the party on the issue,” Kobayashi said in an interview. “I am a fiscal conservative, but I think I’m really a progressive on social issues.”

While in the state Senate, Kobayashi served as Ways and Means chairwoman and was famous for personally shepherding the grants-in-aid funds for charities and social service agencies through the budget process. Senators called it “Ann’s part of the budget.”

On the Council, Kobayashi has been a steady critic of the city’s rail transit plan, saying Honolulu is too small for the planned heavy rail system. She has offered several alternatives but notes that “it has just been frustrating to see the ideas ignored.”

“There are so many people hurting, and now there is this monster rail hanging over us. We spent all this money for what?” Kobayashi said, adding that she is hoping that the new incoming mayor, Rick Blangiardi, “will be able to pull us together.”

As for herself, Kobayashi said, “I’m turning a new page in my life, looking to help and not worry about the political part or fallout from just helping.”

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays. Reach him at 808onpolitics@gmail.com