Annelle Amaral, who is running for chair of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i, said the party's most immediate challenge is to repair what she called the divide between supporters of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

Amaral, a former Kunia state representative and former chair of O'ahu Democrats, said she doubted the divisions would be healed at the state Democratic convention in Waikiki this weekend because the presidential nomination has not been formally decided.

Amaral supports Clinton but said she would vote for Obama if she is elected party chair and goes to the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August as a superdelegate. Obama overwhelmingly won the Hawai'i caucuses in February.

"The first and most immediate challenge is, of course, repairing what is this huge divide between our Clinton and Obama delegates. People feel very strongly about their candidate, and so the first thing we have to do is bring the party together around the one candidate," she said.

Her opponent, former Makiki state representative Brian Schatz, was an early volunteer for the local Obama campaign and is considered the favorite at a convention that is expected to be dominated by Obama delegates.

2-YEAR COMMITMENT

Amaral said the party needs a chair who is committed to serving the full two-year term, a reference to Schatz's interest in future political office, as well as someone adept at fundraising. She also said she wanted to provide better support to the county parties and the party's six caucuses, which work on issues that shape the party's platform.

Amaral stepped back as O'ahu chair this year in part over a disagreement about whether the party should file a lawsuit against the state over the constitutionality of the open primary system. Amaral was among those who wanted to file the lawsuit but the idea — a resolution passed at the party's 2006 state convention — was rejected by the state central committee in January.

Tony Gill, a labor attorney who also favored the lawsuit, was elected to succeed Amaral as O'ahu chair.

TOUGH DECISION TO RUN

Amaral said it was a difficult decision to run for state party chair but she opted to campaign after being urged by several friends and activists. "We don't anoint our leaders," she said. "We have an obligation to a contest and to talking things through and talking different points of view through and giving people choices.

"And I didn't see anybody else stepping forward to do that."

Privately, some Democrats wanted a well-known Clinton supporter to run for party chair to contrast Schatz, who is widely identified as an Obama activist. Amaral is a respected advocate for equal rights and is known for her work with Planned Parenthood of Hawai'i.

CONTINUING 'MOMENTUM'

Schatz said he intends to complete the full term if elected and has no immediate plans to run for office, although he is interested in future political campaigns.

"I want to continue the momentum that Hawai'i Democrats feel as a result of the presidential race," Schatz said, "and to give our new members a reason to feel glad that they joined and to help to merge the long-term members with those who recently joined."

Jeani Withington, a Big Island attorney and interim party chair, agrees that party unity and fundraising are going to be priorities for the new chair. She also said the party needs to bridge a gap between party activists and elected officials that was highlighted by the debate over the potential lawsuit over the open primary. Several activists have complained that elected officials do not follow the party's platform and resolutions.

Withington said the new chair should work toward a more "harmonious relationship" with majority Democrats at the state Legislature.