Honolulu City Council elections retain political leanings

The incoming Honolulu City Council had the potential to take a hard right turn in this year’s election but instead will retain its political balance when three new Councilmembers are sworn in Jan. 3.

The outcome of last week’s race to represent the Council’s vast District 2 also proved that union endorsements carry more weight than local celebrity status, a reference to Makua Rothman, a North Shore big-wave surfer and politically conservative newcomer, said Colin Moore, director of the University of Hawaii’s Public Policy Center.

Rothman lost the race to represent the conservative North Shore as well as Royal Kunia, Wahiawa and down to Kahaluu. He sought to replace conservative Council­member Heidi Tsuneyoshi, who unsuccessfully ran for governor as a Republican after one Council term.

Instead, District 2 voters elected Matt Weyer, another newcomer who attracted financial support from Council Chair Tommy Waters and District 3 Councilmember Esther Kia‘aina.

Weyer works as a planner in the city Department of Community Services and received a law degree from the University of Hawaii with certificates in environmental and Native Hawaiian law before prosecuting felony domestic violence cases as a deputy prosecutor.

He was endorsed by the Hawaii Government Employees Association, Hawaii’s largest public workers union with nearly 37,000 members; the Hawaii State Teachers Association; United Public Workers; Hawaii Carpenters Union; unions representing Hawaii firefighters, nurses, bricklayers, operating engineers and laborers; and groups including the Sierra Club and Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association.

The outcome of the District 2 race surprised Moore but reinforced his beliefs that union and political support matter more in Hawaii than celebrity.

“You couldn’t find a more perfect political science study,” Moore said. “You have a wonk versus a surfing celebrity running for his own North Shore district. It also solidifies that union endorsements matter. That’s a conservative district with a famous big-wave surfer running who lost to a city lawyer. Union endorsements matter.”

Political analyst Neal Milner agreed. “But how a union decides to back or not back a candidate is based on more than being liberals or conservatives,” he added.

Unlike the Democratic- dominated state Legislature, political parties mean less on the nonpartisan Council where Councilmembers have more individual sway compared to legislators — and where alliances can change depending on the issue, Milner said.

Still, members Augie Tulba and Andria Tupola lean conservative. Tupola donated to Rothman’s campaign and he, in turn, paid Tupola $32,000 to serve as a consultant.

Even though Rothman lost, former House Republican minority leader Val Okimoto won the election to represent District 8 over former veteran Councilmember and state legislator Ron Menor. The district includes Pearl City and Mililani and now, through redistricting, Mililani town and Mililani Mauka.

Okimoto replaces Brandon Elefante, a progressive Democrat who had to give up his seat because of term limits. Elefante instead was elected to the state Senate with over 70% of the vote to represent District 16, which includes Aiea, Halawa and a portion of Pearl City.

Four of the nine Council seats were in play this year, including the seat held by Waters, who easily won reelection.

In the end, Weyer replaced Republican Tsune­yoshi; Republican Okimoto filled the seat vacated by progressive Elefante; and Democratic insider Tyler Dos Santos-Tam is taking over from centrist-Democrat Carol Fukunaga, who hit her term limit but was elected last week to return to the Legislature to represent Senate District 11, which includes Manoa and a portion of Makiki Heights.

“A progressive (Weyer) takes over for Heidi, a conservative, and Elefante, a liberal, is replaced by Val Okimoto, a Republican,” Moore said. “They swapped seats but we ended up in the same place.”

As she packed up her office in the state Capitol on Friday, Okimoto told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that her Council campaign was always intended to help constituents rather than follow partisan politics “regardless of party lines.”

During her campaign, Okimoto said she heard neighbors’ concerns and not party loyalty.

“The things they talk about really don’t have anything to do with politics for the most part,” Okimoto said. “I want to be able to get things done for the community. I don’t want to focus on partisanship.”

Dos-Santos Tam, meanwhile, is former chair of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, former executive director of the Hawaii Construction Alliance and co-founder of HI Good Neighbor, which opposes the proliferation of so-called monster homes.

He also was backed financially by Waters, as well as by former Mayor Kirk Caldwell.

Dos-Santos Tam will represent District 6, which covers Downtown through Nuuanu and Kalihi Valley.

Like Okimoto, Weyer told the Star-Advertiser his focus is on the concerns of District 2 constituents and not on the political makeup of the Council.

“It’s important to directly connect with voters and flesh out ideas in such a huge, diverse district,” Weyer said. “That’s powerful and needed in this polarized climate we have now. The polarization we see is because of this disconnect. (Voters) see government as separate from them. They don’t feel heard. They don’t feel their vote matters.”

Also serving on the Council but not up for election this year are Calvin Say in District 5, encompassing Kaimuki, Manoa, Makiki and portions of Ala Moana and Kakaako, and Radiant Cordero in District 7, covering Kalihi, Iwilei, Salt Lake and Aliamanu.

Both have strong Democratic ties, Say as former House speaker and Cordero as a former legislative aide.