Three-term Rep. Alex Sonson's decision to forgo a re-election bid and challenge incumbent and fellow Democrat Sen. Clarence Nishihara this fall has left a wide-open race for the 35th state House seat to represent an area that includes a large chunk of Waipahu and a small section of Pearl City.

Six political novices are vying for the seat. Like Sonson, all six men have at least some Filipino blood in a district where, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, 52 percent of the population identified themselves as being of Filipino ancestry.

Three of the men, in fact, were born in the Philippines: Democrats Constante Domingo, Ilalo Parayno and Dante Verdadero. Two others, Republican Steven Bolosan Antonio and Democrat Henry Aquino, are lifelong Waipahu residents while Inam Perreira Padilla Rahman is originally from Pakistan.

Antonio, 35, worked as a community liaison for Rep. Lynn Finnegan, R-32nd (Lower Pearlridge, 'Aiea, Halawa) the past two legislative sessions. His top statewide priority is education and he proposes providing more state funding to the public schools, in particular to educate students on crime and drug prevention, as well as community and heritage awareness.

Aquino, 31, is program coordinator for the nonprofit Waipahu Community Association. He ran unsuccessfully against Sonson for the 35th District seat in 2004. He counts affordable housing as his top priority. Partnering with the city and the private sector by offering tax credits and the state's ability to gain low interest loans are among the solutions Aquino proposes.

Domingo, 62, is a self-employed care home operator who ran unsuccessfully for the District 35 seat against Sonson in 2006. He also ran for the Honolulu City Council in 1994, the year he moved to Waipahu. Like Antonio, Domingo said his statewide priority is to seek more money for the Department of Education. He said it is up to the DOE and the Board of Education to decide how the money is spent.

Parayno, 68, a lifelong educator, retired vice principal of James Campbell High School and former aide to Rep. Rida Cabanilla, D-42nd (Waipahu, Honouliuli, 'Ewa), said his main statewide priority is bolstering the economy. Parayno said he believes many more tourists can come from Asia and that he will advocate more state dollars for tourism promotion.

Rahman, 55, is a doctor who has lived in Waipahu off and on for about nine years. He ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2006 and Congress in 2004. Rahman also said his main priority is more money for public schools although his focus is repairs and maintenance, and other infrastructure concerns.

Verdadero, 48, is a Realtor who has lived in Waipahu the past three years and also lived in the district for about three years in the 1990s. He also considers more funding for the school system the top statewide priority. Verdadero said he wants to find ways to get more money directly into the hands of teachers. He also advocates smaller classroom sizes.

Asked to name one district priority they would tackle as a state representative, Parayno and Verdadero cited transportation.

Parayno said he supports rail transit as "one of many solutions." The transportation issue, he said, involves not just the moving of people, but of materials and goods as well.

Verdadero said he would like to convene a community forum to discuss transit issues.

Rahman said he wants to see Waipahu's neighborhoods cleared of pollution and will push for legislation to help that.

Domingo said because many in his district work in the hotel industry, he will advocate for more money to bolster Hawai'i's faltering tourism trade.

Aquino and Antonio said crime is the No. 1 local issue.

Aquino said he hears many neighbors talking about the need to make Waipahu's streets safer and wants stronger laws, especially those that are drug-related.

Antonio said he wants to foster community involvement to help in the effort, and he wants to obtain funding for graffiti-fighting and similar programs that promote pride in the community.