Hawaii seems bound for first female gov

HONOLULU, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Despite her medical condition, Rep. Patsy Mink easily won the Democratic nomination for Congress in Hawaii's primary and fully intends to seek a seventh term in November.

Mink, 74, who has been hospitalized since late August with pneumonia brought on by a bout of chicken pox, beat school teacher Steve Tataii with 72.6 percent of the vote in Saturday's vote. She will face Republican state lawmaker Bob McDermott, who won nearly half the GOP vote over accountant James "The Ump" Donovan.

Mink's family had requested that Straub Clinic and Hospital not release any details of her condition, and her office will only state that she is on the road to recovery and looking forward to another term in Washington.

"This is an illness from which one can recover, and we expect Mrs. Mink to be back on her feet representing the 2nd District," Mink's office said in a statement released Friday. "Viral pneumonia takes time to overcome, and her family continues to ask for the public's patience."

Mink, the valedictorian of Maui High School's class of 1944, currently serves on the House Education and Government Reform Committees. Her district includes parts of rural Mahu and all of the state's outer islands

Neil Abercrombie, the long-time representative of the 1st District, which is centered in the heavily populated Honolulu area, ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination and will face auto dealer Mark Terry, who narrowly defeated fellow businessman Stephen Bischoff for the Republican nomination.

Hawaiians also selected two women to square off in the November gubernatorial runoff. Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono won 40.6 percent of the Democratic vote to take a narrow win over State Rep. Ed Case, who received 39.3 percent; former Maui Mayor Linda Lingle received 88.7 percent of the GOP vote.

Hirono's running mate will be state Sen. Matt Matsunaga, who won the Democratic nomination for Lt. Gov., which would give the party two Japanese-Americans on the same ticket in the ethnically diverse 50th State. Hirono served as outgoing Gov. Ben Cayetano's lieutenant governor for eight years.

"I have the record and the experience," she told her supporters Saturday night. "I am the person with the record that can bring about positive change for Hawaii."

In the tradition of Hawaii politics, Hirono planned to be out at the crack of dawn Monday with her supporters to hold "mahalo," or thank-you signs, and wave to commuters heading off to work in the Pearl Ridge area of Honolulu.

Saturday's turnout was 41 percent, one of the lowest for a primary in state history.