HI-SEN: Democrats lead Linda Lingle in early polls.

[RandySF]

The Republican party in Hawaii had hoped that the state’s first female governor might have what it takes to claim the seat of retiring Sen. Daniel Akaka (D), but recent polling shows Democrats with the inside track.

A survey conducted by Civil Beat shows former Gov. Linda Lingle ® trailing two prospective Democratic opponents.

In one matchup, former Congressman Ed Case outpolls Lingle 46 percent to 33 percent. Sitting Congressman Mazie Hirono holds a seven point advantage over Lingle, 46 percent to 39 percent.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/updates/4913

[Tarheel_Dem]

1. I realize it's still early, but I love news like this. Thanks for sharing.

[KamaAina]

2. Ed Case: DINO extraordinaire.

He'd be about as useful in the Senate as Dianne Feinstein has been.

Hirono would be far better, but she held a polling advantage over Lingle several years ago, too, in the governor's race. She pissed it away in a manner that would have made Martha Coakley proud. Hopefully she's learned her lesson.

[RandySF]

3. Based on what I see from her, I would think so.

She appears to be aggressively progressive and she's here in SF almost every other week to raise money. AND she beat an incumbent (albeit weak) Republican for Congress. It seems also that Hirono had a couple other issues working against her in 2002. It was a year when a Republican was even elected governor in Maryland and, if I remember correctly, there was a lot of antipathy toward the outgoing Cayetano. Either way, she's looks more aggressive this time around.