Kaua'i Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste, a Republican, came from a family of noted Democrats.

His late father, Tony Baptiste, was the longtime Democratic chairman of the county Board of Supervisors in the 1950s and 1960s, a title equivalent to mayor.

Bryan Baptiste switched to the Republican Party when he first ran for a seat on the County Council in 1996. After six terms on the council, he was elected to his first four-year nonpartisan term as mayor in 2002, succeeding Maryanne Kusaka.

In his 2006 re-election bid, Baptiste was declared the winner after receiving more than half the votes in the September primary election. However, two of his campaign opponents filed legal challenges questioning how the votes were counted and whether Baptiste indeed had gotten more than half the votes.

The Hawai'i Supreme Court ended the dispute with a decision in October 2006 confirming Baptiste's victory.

During his 2002 mayoral campaign, Baptiste described his management style as "inclusive" and "open." He favored bottom-up decision-making that emphasized community meetings and local direction of local projects.

As mayor, his push for community inclusiveness was evident in his proposed legislation banning gated entrances in future developments. Baptiste also proposed that developers of larger projects be required to provide public access along the shoreline and to mauka properties.

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said Baptiste was a major supporter of the Hawai'i Council of Mayors, which has been meeting for more than two years to discuss issues affecting the four counties.

"It's the first time the four of us (mayors of the counties) have been meeting and working together regularly," Hannemann said last night.

Among Baptiste's accomplishments were programs to fight drug abuse, using federal and state dollars. He also partnered with Kaua'i Economic Opportunity Homeless Outreach Program to build the island's first homeless shelter and pushed for expanded bus routes, affordable housing and tackling the county's infrastructure work backlog.

Before joining the council, Baptiste headed the War Memorial Convention Hall from 1994 to 1996. He made his name in county government as founder of the Ho'olokahi Program, which involves volunteers in beautification projects.

He previously served as vice president of Kaua'i operations for the Hawaii Management Alliance Association, a medical insurance company, and was owner of Petals and Passions from 1980 to 1994.

Last year, Baptiste agreed to pay a $6,000 fine for making excess contributions to community organizations in violation of state campaign spending law. The state Campaign Spending Commission found that Baptiste and Friends of Bryan Baptiste, his campaign committee, made more than $17,225 in excess contributions to community groups between November 2002 and November 2006.

Baptiste said the violations occurred because his campaign staff failed to keep track of the amounts given to the groups.

"My philosophy has always been community first, and I've always tried to support community to the fullest extent possible," Baptiste said.