State Rep. Karen Awana will face voters for the first time this month since switching parties last year.

Awana is fighting to keep her District 44 seat against competition from fellow Democrat Hanalei Aipoalani, who gained some attention two years ago when he ran for the U.S. House at age 27, and from Republican Tercia Ku, who helps oversee a mental health transformation grant for the state.

Awana and Aipoalani will face each other in the Sept. 20 primary election, and the winner will go up against Ku in the Nov. 4 general election.

Awana, 42, said recently she doesn't think her party switch in December 2007 will be a major issue for voters in the primary.

She said she believes voters will be more interested in how she proposes to shorten their commutes, improve their schools and ease the homeless crisis in Leeward O'ahu. She is also running on a record, and pointed out that during her freshman term in the state House she was able to secure capital funding for schools in her district and kickstart planning and design of the long-awaited Nanakuli Library.

Aipoalani, 29, said he also believes transportation, education and homelessness are at the top of voters' minds this election year.

"The state has to put more emphasis on transportation" on the Wai'anae Coast, he said. "We have only one way in and one way out. The second thing we need to look at is education. We need to fund the fundamentals that will help our children within our school systems."

Ku, the lone Republican contender, said she supports a stopgap measure aimed at improving commutes on the Leeward Coast. She said state transportation officials should put in a contraflow lane on Farrington Highway in the short term, while also working to build a new thoroughfare or widen the existing road.

Ku, who lives in Nanakuli, said she also wants to see more emphasis on homelessness, mental health and helping at-risk youth.

"My district has a lot of challenges," she said.

The state House seat the three are vying for includes Ma'ili, Nanakuli, Honokai Hale and Lualualei. In 2000, the latest year for which statistics are available, the district had about 23,000 residents, nearly 20 percent of whom were under the poverty line.

Awana, of Nanakuli, won the state House seat in 2006, after unsuccessful bids in 2004 and 2002. In addition to her legislative experience, she has been on a host of community boards.

Meanwhile, Aipoalani, a member of the Nanakuli/Ma'ili Neighborhood Board, said he is running full-time for the District 44 seat. Aipoalani grew up in Nanakuli and left for eight years before returning in 2006. His background is in biotechnology.

Ku works for the state Department of Health. She ran unsuccessfully for a state House seat in 2006.