Former Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona has reintroduced himself to voters this year in a softer hue of Republican red, as a former judge, youth basketball coach, substitute teacher and grandfather who would restore trust, respect and balance to Washington Place.

With his eight years as Gov. Linda Lingle’s lieutenant governor and his 17-point loss to Gov. Neil Abercrombie in 2010 safely out of view, Aiona, polls have shown, has the unlikely advantage in a three-way campaign for governor against state Sen. David Ige, a Demo­crat, and former Hono­lulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, a member of the Hawaii Independent Party.

"It’s really about this lack of trust," Aiona, 59, said in an interview at his campaign headquarters off Nimitz Highway. "The people feel like they are not being respected."

Aiona contends the political climate is similar to 2002, when many voters had tired of Demo­cratic control of state government and made Lingle the first Republican governor in 40 years.

"Back then the people wanted change," he said. "They want change now."

Ige’s historic upset over Abercrombie in the Demo­cratic primary — the first time since statehood that an incumbent governor lost in a primary — showed the unstable nature of a Hawaii political culture in transition since the death of iconic U.S. Sen. Daniel Ino­uye two years ago.

With Ige still unfamiliar to some voters, and Hannemann saddled with back-to-back losses as a Demo­crat for Congress and governor, Aiona has positioned himself as a stable, comfortable alternative.

The electoral math, usually so daunting for Republicans in statewide campaigns, potentially works in Aiona’s favor. He could win in November with the same 40 percent of the vote he received when he lost to Abercrombie four years ago, a split that would likely depend on Hannemann getting roughly 20 percent.

Democrats have not used the month since the primary to interrupt Aiona’s narrative, which the Republican has reinforced through campaign advertisements that depict him as a grounded family man.

While Democrats — including some environmental and labor interests that sat out the primary — have rallied behind Ige, a generic, reflexive appeal to voters to back the Demo­crat might not be enough to persuade an unsettled electorate.

"I’d say if you have weather vanes that point up or down, most of his weather vanes point up," Jerry Burris, a former editorial page editor and political columnist for The Hono­lulu Advertiser, said of Aiona.

Burris suspects voters see Aiona in a broader context than during the 2010 campaign, when he was characterized mostly as a more socially conservative extension of Lingle.

Aiona’s work as an administrator at Saint Louis School — his Catholic alma mater — as a private attorney and mediator, and as a substitute teacher at Holo­mua Elementary School and Kapo­lei Elementary School, has brought more depth to his experience.

But Aiona still carries the Republican brand in a state where voters consistently elect Demo­crats. With Elwin Ahu, a former judge and pastor, as his lieutenant governor running mate, he will have to answer questions — as he did four years ago — about his links to religious conservatives whose rigid views on gay marriage, abortion and other social issues might alienate swing voters.

Aiona might also have to compete for some right-leaning voters with Hannemann, who is seen as a moderate who could poach independents and Demo­crats who might otherwise gravitate to Aiona.

One Democrat who is close to Ige said privately that Aiona’s campaign ads are designed to soften some of the negatives in his reputation: that he can be dense on policy, disorganized and combative.

Democrats are still contemplating their general-election strategy but will likely attempt to tie Aiona to national Republicans and to the most unpopular aspects of Lingle’s legacy, such as teacher furloughs during the recession. The independent financial help Aiona is expected to receive from the Republican Governors Association could give Demo­crats an invitation to draw unflattering comparisons with national Republicans. But a negative "remember the Lingle years" attack could have political limitations after Abercrombie’s one-term disappointment.

Blake Parsons, executive director of the Hawaii Republican Party, maintains that Demo­crats are in disarray. Compared with four years ago, when Aiona always trailed in public-opinion polls, Aiona has led in the Hawaii Poll and in other surveys even though the predominant focus through the primary had been on Ige and Abercrombie.

"I think that shows the character of who he is," Parsons said. "People have kind of sat back and said, ‘Who is Duke Aiona? He’s somebody who I can relate to.’"

Aiona, much like Ige and Hannemann, has so far shied away from a sharply defined, ideologically driven policy platform, sensing that voters are looking for intrinsic leadership qualities after their divorce from the polarizing Abercrombie.

The policy ideas that Aiona has recommended tap into public perceptions about government waste or are carefully tailored responses to larger social problems, like homelessness and the state’s high cost of living.

Aiona would order a financial and management audit of the state Department of Education, which critics have long said is weighted down by layers of bureaucracy. He would streamline the state regulatory process, in part though automatic approvals when permit reviews exceed set time limits.

Aiona would consider reducing the unemployment insurance tax rate, adjusting the formula that automatically sets the rate on businesses to preserve an adequate unemployment insurance reserve.

He would establish a homeless court, similar to the drug court he was involved with as a judge, to help make the justice system more responsive to the issues facing the homeless. He would also have the Hawaii Army National Guard conduct outreach to homeless veterans.

Aiona would redirect 25 percent of the money collected from the state’s corporate income tax to the rental housing trust fund to encourage more affordable rental units.

He would also promote an early college program that would help low-income students get high school diplomas and associate’s degrees from community colleges while being mentored by businesses for future careers.

Like Ige and Hannemann, Aiona is not ready to commit to a specific path for Native Hawaiians to achieve self-government. But Aiona, who is of Hawaiian, Portuguese and Chinese ancestry, said he would employ a "hands-on" approach from a native perspective and actively work with the Hawaiian community toward consensus.

In what could be a critical policy difference with Ige, Aiona favors a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would allow public money to go to private preschools, a centerpiece of Abercrombie’s initiative to eventually offer preschool to all of the state’s 4-year-olds.

Aiona said he is not trying to distance himself from Lingle, who had higher job approval ratings than Abercrombie at her political peak, easily won a second term and launched the landmark Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative before public opinion turned against her during the recession. As lieutenant governor he was prepared to step in and lead the administration in Lingle’s absence, he said, but he was not the one who had the final word on day-to-day policy.

"I get to be a part of the mental process, right, the decision-making process, but I don’t pull the trigger, so I can’t be blamed for anything," he said.

Aiona has also sought to soothe negative voter perceptions about the Republican Party with a "people before the party" message.

"It’s not about labels," he said. "It’s really about the person. It’s really about what my platform is and where my heart is. And they know that my heart is with the people."

Aiona said he and running mate Ahu, as former judges appointed by Demo­cratic governors, have the ability to be objective and fair in a partisan political environment.

"That’s exactly what the people are looking for right now," he said. "They want to trust government again. But before that trust can come about, they’ve got to get some respect. And they can count on me to listen to them."

But Aiona cannot sidestep his alliance with religious conservatives who have fought civil unions and gay marriage. GOP leaders openly sought to mobilize evangelicals for Aiona four years ago, a strategy that backfired.

Ahu, a senior pastor at New Hope Metro, and several state House and Senate candidates running as Republicans this year have said they were motivated by their disappointment with the special session of the Legislature on gay marriage.

Republicans have quietly encouraged religious conservatives to be more active politically, hoping that it will help Aiona take Washington Place and the GOP pick up a few seats in the Legislature, while discouraging another public debate on gay marriage.

Aiona, who contends the issue should have been placed before voters as a proposed constitutional amendment, has said he would not try to repeal the gay marriage law if elected governor. He expects the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually settle the issue nationally.

Even a slight increase in voter turnout by religious conservatives might help Aiona win with a plurality, yet publicly courting the religious right could push away independents and moderate Demo­crats and undermine Aiona’s chances.

"Elwin and I are not going to shy away from the fact that we are men of faith," Aiona said. "We’re men of faith, and I would think that the people of Hawaii would like that because they know that we have a moral compass. We have a moral standard. We know what’s right and wrong."