Former Democratic Gov. Ben Cayetano said Big Island Mayor Harry Kim should be the Democrats' candidate to run against Gov. Linda Lingle next year.

Cayetano told a taping of the Hawai'i Public Television show "Island Insights," that Kim is the Democrats' best chance of defeating the Republican incumbent.

"Harry, if you listen to what he has to say, he kind of grows on you," said Cayetano. "I think he speaks a lot of sense and I personally would feel comfortable with him."

The former governor said that he wrote Kim urging him to run against Lingle.

Democratic Party leaders had said they hoped by August to have a candidate to oppose Lingle, but so far no major Democrat has decided to run.

Kim has said he is considering challenging Lingle, but has not made up his mind.

Andy Levin, Big Island executive director, said Kim "has not decided and I would not predict when he would make a decision."

Kim was in Los Angeles getting what he called a "precautionary" medical checkup at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

The 66-year-old mayor suffered a heart attack in May, but returned to work a week later. Levin said Kim appears to be in good health.

"His cholesterol is amazing, his body fat is amazing. He seems very fit, but he is getting conflicting opinions and he decided to go for another test," Levin said.

Kim told Hawai'i County residents before he left for California that he would let them know if he must have heart bypass surgery.

Kim served as the Big Island's Civil Defense administrator for 16 years before he was elected mayor in 2000 with a campaign built on $10 donations and a slogan declaring himself an "applicant for mayor."

He is said to be the first Korean mayor in the country.

Hawai'i Public Television will broadcast the Cayetano interview by Dan Boylan, a University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu history professor, on Nov. 14.