Election year 2006 brings Hawai'i to a juncture at which it would be most prudent to capitalize on the experience of veteran lawmakers in Washington.

In the tumultuous arena of national partisan politics, the midterm elections could overturn congressional leadership, or the GOP majority might remain intact. Either way, Hawai'i's voters are best served by retaining two of its veterans who have accrued seniority that can only enhance the state's influence.

The Advertiser endorses for re-election both Democratic incumbents in the U.S. Capitol, Sen. Daniel Akaka and Rep. Neil Abercrombie, even though the paper has taken positions opposing them on certain issues — the approach to withdrawal from Iraq being primary among them.

Both have favored withdrawal by a "date certain," an extreme position that makes few allowances for conditions on the ground. But such extremism might be more rhetorical than real; in later days, Akaka has indicated a willingness to amend the date if circumstances dictate.

But on the whole — with the exception of Akaka's regrettable vote for oil drilling in Alaska — both have voting records that support the environment and alternative energy development and other key concerns for Hawai'i. And both hold committee positions that enable their advocacy for Hawai'i's active-duty military and veterans, whose needs are certain to mount in coming years.

To fill the opening in the state's 2nd Congressional District, The Advertiser endorses former lieutenant governor Mazie Hirono, whose articulation of the issues and record of accomplishments surpasses that of her Republican opponent, state Sen. Bob Hogue.

Hirono wants to see "phased redeployment" of Iraq troops by the end of the year, a stance that could be spelled out more clearly but nonetheless appears to allow some consideration for ground conditions.

On domestic issues, Hirono's work during 14 years in the state House, as well as her two terms in the state's No. 2 spot, should work to her advantage. She may be best known for her role in creating the nonprofit Hawai'i Employer's Mutual Insurance Co. to mitigate the cost of workers' compensation claims borne by small-business owners. She also was instrumental in the birth of the state's Pre-Plus program for early education, and helped with the initial implementation and site selection.

Looking forward, she rightly amplifies the call for affordable healthcare, especially for her rural district where the community is seriously under-served.

Finally, the Japan-born Hirono would bring to the job an empathy with America's immigrants, as well as linguistic skills and a global perspective that the United States critically needs in an era when relations with Asia are moving closer to center stage. That, and her deep commitment to women's rights would be welcome reinforcements in the Islands' congressional platform.

Despite The Advertiser's support of Democrats in Hawai'i's Washington contingent, the talents and admirable record of the GOP senatorial challenger, state Rep. Cynthia Thielen, should not pass unheralded. Thielen faces long odds against the senior and popular Akaka, but it's been gratifying to see her use the opportunity to shine a spotlight on her core concerns, alternative energy development in particular.

The vigor of her campaign, starting with her appointment late in the game as the GOP nominee, is refreshing. Given the way Hawai'i political landscape intimidates candidates who lack the backing of the ruling party, it also was encouraging to see political newcomers such as William Aila mount a primary race for governor. And Akaka's Democratic challenger, Rep. Ed Case, made a respectable showing, an indication that the political landscape is slowly shifting.

The Democrats, accustomed as they are to political dominance, will have to reckon with this shift, if its leaders hope to find resonance with younger voters.

The party should listen and learn from dissent, from within and from the opposition. Hawai'i is shedding its willingness to award lifetime appointments to its D.C. delegates. And those delegates have a progress report due before the voters in two years' time.