Gov. Linda Lingle said yesterday that she voted for Jerry Coffee in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate even though Coffee has officially withdrawn from the race for health reasons.

The Republican governor, who spoke to reporters after voting early at Honolulu Hale with Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, said it was her personal choice to vote for Coffee and she was not asking other Republicans to follow her.

"I wanted to make a statement on Jerry Coffee's behalf. He's a great person, a great American. He loves this state very much and he put himself forward. And I felt, personally, I wanted to cast my vote for him," Lingle said.

The governor said she would help the party select a replacement for Coffee for the November general election if he were to win on Sept. 23. Five other Republicans are on the primary ballot, but party officials have not backed away from Coffee because they hope he wins so they can pick his replacement.

Lingle also urged Republicans who are thinking about crossing over to vote in the Democratic primary contest for Senate between U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka and U.S. Rep. Ed Case to stick with the GOP. The Akaka-Case winner will face the Republican nominee in November.

"I think in order to have a strong two-party system, it's important to vote in your party's primary," Lingle said. "A two-party system benefits everyone. Even if you don't belong to any party, having a good balance in government really is something important to our state."

Lingle and Sam Aiona, the party's chairman, have said it is too early to talk about possible replacements for Coffee, but clearly they have been working through the possibilities. The GOP would have three days after the primary to select a replacement.

Aiona said he is considering several potential replacements but believes it is premature to discuss any names publicly. "The person we select will be effective in the United States Senate, unlike Dan Akaka and Ed Case, if you believe their ads," Aiona said.

One of the people being mentioned most often in political circles as a possible replacement, Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou, said yesterday he had not spoken to the governor or Aiona about that scenario.

Djou is running unopposed for another term representing Hawai'i Kai and Waikiki on the City Council and will be re-elected in the primary. He would not have to give up his council seat if he was chosen by the party as Coffee's replacement in the Senate race.

"If the party wants to select me, I'll give it some serious thought," Djou said. "But at this stage, I hope to continue to serve on the Honolulu City Council."

Coffee, a retired Navy pilot and former prisoner of war in Vietnam, suspended his campaign in early August after undergoing emergency heart bypass surgery and formally withdrew on Aug. 31. His name remains on the ballot, but election officials will post signs at polling places notifying voters of his withdrawal. Fliers also went out in absentee-ballot mailers.

Mark Beatty, a Kane'ohe attorney and one of the five other Republicans on the ballot, said he is a team player and does not fault the governor or the party for staying with Coffee even though he has withdrawn.

"I'm playing this game to win, so they still all might be surprised," Beatty said.

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com.