LIHU'E, Kaua'i — Two of Kaua'i's veteran state representatives retired this year, leaving the 15th and 16th Representative Districts open for six candidates, only one of whom has ever held political office before.

Reps. Ezra Kanoho and Bertha Kawakami, both Democrats, opted to step down this year. The island's remaining House member, Democratic Rep. Mina Morita of the 14th District, is unopposed.

Of the two contested districts, the 15th represents the economic and political center of the island. The 16th encompasses the rural West Side and Ni'ihau. Each race has a lone Republican, who will face the winner of a battle between two Democrats.

The 15th District runs from Olohena Road in Kapa'a, includes the Wailua area, Lihu'e and surrounding villages, and the portions of Koloa, 'Oma'o and Lawa'i that lie between Koloa Road and Kaumuali'i Highway. The county seat is here, as well as the island's primary airport and harbor, the biggest shopping center and the community college.

Both of these Kaua'i districts skew somewhat older than the state as a whole. While 38 percent of the state's population is age 50 and older, the comparable percentage is 43 percent in District 15 and 44 percent in District 16.

The 15th District has a varied political choice. Ron Agor, a Republican activist and state Board of Land and Natural Resources member will face the winner of a primary race between Republican-turned-Democrat Jimmy Tokioka, a member of the Kaua'i County Council, and self-described liberal Democrat Linda Estes, a retired educator.

Estes said she would protect the environment, hold developers to strict standards and work to ease traffic flow with fixes like better synchronizing traffic signals. A key issue for her is housing — government provides tax subsidies and incentives to businesses, and there's no reason not to subsidize affordable housing as well, she said.

"It's criminal that we don't have adequate affordable housing," Estes said.

Tokioka, like Estes, would release state land to the counties to build affordable housing. He said he will push funding for bypass road projects in the Kapa'a area and for expanding Kaumuali'i Highway from Lihu'e to the West Side. He said public education needs better facilities, reduced class sizes and higher pay for teachers.

"The compensation plan is not adequate at present" for school teachers, Tokioka said.

Agor would remove the excise tax on food and medicine, and focus on maintaining a strong economy. He said that while real estate and construction are strong, there are signs of easing, suggesting a slow period a few years from now. He added that it is time for government to be doing the planning and budgeting for projects that will come online when it's slow, and when contractors' prices may be lower.

While both his Democratic opponents emphasize housing, Agor said that when he talks with residents, traffic is their main concern. He said he would work in the Legislature to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow islandwide.

The 16th District includes most of Koloa, southern Lawa'i and the towns and villages west of it. Most of it is rural, with two important economic caveats: the Po'ipu resort area and the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands. Much of the rest includes the island's lone sugar plantation, Gay & Robinson, a series of former plantation towns that have become bedroom communities from which most workers commute to jobs, and it includes the 200 or so residents on Ni'ihau.

Although the 16th has a somewhat higher population of Hawaiians, ethnically and by age, the two districts are quite similar.

Democrat Roland Sagum III is a former county deputy planning director in his first run for public office. He said a key issue for the West Side is the regional hospital, Kaua'i Veterans Memorial Hospital, which he would work to keep open and well funded. He also would seek continued economic diversification for the region.

Democrat Rhoda Libre, active in a range of community activities, said the region needs traffic improvements, help for its schools and other things, but her key to the future of the West Kaua'i region is to involve the community in any kind of decisions about the region.

"It really upsets me when government officials fail to empower the community," she said.

The winner of the primary race between Sagum and Libre will face Republican JoAnne Georgi in the general election. Among her most significant issues are proposals to reduce the cost of living, including dropping the excise tax on food and prescription drugs, and reducing the state tax on gasoline.

"The cost of living here is 40 percent higher than on the Mainland, salaries are 8 percent less and taxes per capita are higher," she said.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.