An Aug. 7 special election has been set to fill Duke Bainum's City Council seat, and a full slate of candidates is expected to come forward.

Among those being mentioned are former Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi, former state lawmaker and city Managing Director Kirk Caldwell, and the state lawmakers who represent the communities Bainum's district covered, including Rep. Scott Nishimoto, D-21st (Kaimuki, Kapahulu).

Yesterday, however, the potential candidates and their supporters were reluctant to talk about the pending race out of respect for their former colleague and friend. Bainum died suddenly Tuesday night of an aneurysm.

Still, the opening left by Bainum's death will create an opportunity for newcomers as well as veteran politicians.

"I think there will be a lot of candidates," said Della Au Belatti, D-25th (Tantalus, Makiki, McCully). "It's an opportunity for anyone who has an itch to be in public office. It would be great to have candidates who have fresh and independent voices who are in the same vein as former Councilmember Duke Bainum."

The deadline for candidates to file is June 25. Ballots will then be mailed to registered voters in Bainum's district who can return them by mail or drop them off at City Hall. Bainum represented District 5, which includes a portion of Kapahulu and Kaimuki; Palolo Valley, St. Louis Heights, Manoa, Mo'ili'ili, McCully, Kaka'ako and a portion of Ala Moana and Makiki.

This will be the second special election the city has held this year. In a contest concluded last month, Windward O'ahu voters chose Ikaika Anderson to replace Councilmember Barbara Marshall, who lost her battle with cancer in February.

The special election to fill Marshall's seat cost the city $225,000. Eleven candidates competed.

"I don't ever remember a time when two sitting members (of the council) have died," said Jerry Burris, Honolulu Advertiser columnist and veteran political observer. "I don't think there's ever been two in a row like this.

"This is an unusual, unusual time. I rarely have seen a time when there was so much movement (among politicians)."

Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz confirmed yesterday that his close ally Kobayashi — who held the District 5 seat before Bainum — is interested in running. Kobayashi gave up her council seat last year in an unsuccessful bid to oust Mayor Mufi Hannemann.

Nishimoto, who considered Bainum his mentor, said, "I'd be open to it, but I have to think about it."

"Being elected to the City Council is really working on the ground," Nishimoto said.

Bainum served on the council from 1994 to 2002 and waged an unsuccessful mayoral battle against Hannemann in 2004.

Last July, Bainum filed to run for Kobayashi's open seat.

Caldwell also filed to run for the seat Kobayashi vacated but was disqualified in August after the city clerk's office ruled that his nomination papers were invalid, leaving Bainum the sole candidate for the district.

It's been a sad year for O'ahu for politicians, said Brian Schatz, head of the Democratic Party in Hawai'i.

"We've lost two great leaders in the same year," Schatz said, referring to Marshall and Bainum. "It's premature to talk about the next election. Now it's time to mourn the loss of Dr. Bainum and extend our best wishes to his family. Politics of the council can be considered at a later date."