Hawai'i, at its core, is still a blue state, but Gov. Linda Lingle painted it red on Election Day.

The Republican governor's 62 percent to 35 percent win over former Mililani state Sen. Randall Iwase was predictable, but a breakdown of the general election vote by The Advertiser shows she was strong in literally every corner of the state.

Lingle won in all four counties and in all 51 state House districts, even as voters were mostly choosing Democrats in other state and federal races.

On O'ahu, Lingle took all but two precincts, slipping to Iwase only at Waipahu Elementary School and the Del Monte Gym in Kunia.

The pattern makes it harder for Democrats to explain away Lingle's victory as a function of public relations or a weak Democratic opponent.

"When it came to Lingle and Iwase, people voted for the person and not the party," said Don Clegg, a political consultant.

Democrats have found comfort that Lingle's popularity has not helped other Republicans win office. But her emphatic re-election — after her historic victory in 2002 as the first Republican governor in four decades — could make it tougher for Democrats at the state Legislature to rebuff her on public policy.

Some Democrats doubt the state has shifted more to the center politically with Lingle. But they recognize that the governor's ability to win in traditional Democratic strongholds such as Hilo, Hawai'i; Kahului, Maui; and Kalihi, as well as in growing or swing districts such as Puna on the Big Island and Kapolei and Mililani, is surprising. Her vote totals might give Democratic lawmakers some unease because they know she has support among their constituents.

Mike McCartney, chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i, said the state is changing demographically but believes most voters agree with Democrats on the issues. "I think Hawai'i still holds Democratic values," he said.

McCartney said that while Lingle's numbers were strong, it does not mean other Republican candidates for governor will do as well.

"You can't translate that into what will happen in the future," he said.

Lingle had a record $6.5 million in campaign money available and golden job approval ratings going into the election. Because of the state's Democratic history and the potential that labor unions would help Iwase with voter turnout, her campaign did not take Iwase lightly, even though he was not thought of as a serious threat.

The governor's campaign used 600 volunteers in a Dole Cannery ballroom on Election Day to call likely Lingle voters who had been identified over the years since she first ran unsuccessfully for the job in 1998.

Exit polls taken for The Associated Press and the television networks found that Lingle took most Republican voters, two-thirds of independents, and about a third of Democrats. Seven out of 10 voters described the state's economy as excellent or good, which also benefited the governor.

Voters also distinguished Lingle from President Bush: Six out of 10 voters disapproved of the way the president was doing his job.

The Advertiser's analysis of the vote found that Lingle did best in districts in Hawai'i Kai, Mililani, Kaimuki, Kahala, Maunawili, Kailua and Makakilo. Some of the closer districts were in Kahului, Hilo, East Maui, and Po'ipu and Lihu'e on Kaua'i.

Lingle said the vote showed that people believed her administration was working for them.

"The people recognize that we did a good job," she said. "We gave it our best; we worked hard every day."

Lingle said she and Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona have tried to be accessible through weekly radio shows, electronic newsletters and community events. Her communications staff has also been aggressive about promoting the administration's agenda, which has led to the criticism from Democrats about her use of public relations as a political tool.

Lingle said such criticism insults voters. "It's the politicians saying, 'She's just fooling the public' — that they're not smart enough to understand that she really did do a good job," she said. "It sells the public short, because the public is very tuned in and very aware of whether or not their own family's situation, their own community, their neighborhood, our state's situation — did it get better or not?

"They can read the numbers, and they can view the results. And they can see the progress."

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com.