Duke Bainum

City Councilman Duke Bainum was remembered yesterday as a political moderate who reached out to help those most in need.

Bainum was "always committed and always ready to do what was the best for the people in his district," said council chairman Todd Apo.

He seemed to be a perennial candidate who rarely fit the mold of a typical Hawai'i politician.

"He was a medical doctor and naturally liked healthcare, and anything related to people issues, having to deal with human and social issues," said Richard Port, former chairman of the Hawai'i Democratic Party.

His message resonated with immigrants while Bainum's personal appeal also attracted moderate-to-conservative voters.

"He did well with Filipinos, in particular," said John Hart, a Hawai'i Pacific University professor of communication who specializes in political communication and rhetoric. "But he also appealed to haole voters. I would characterize him as that middle-of-the road politician who appealed to many demographics."

Bainum appeared fine at work Tuesday and later played with his two young sons but experienced chest pains at night and was taken to the hospital, said Mallory Fujitani, a senior adviser.

Bainum had been driving along Wilder Avenue around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when he experienced chest pains and pulled over and called 911, city spokesman Bill Brennan said.

Paramedics took him to The Queen's Medical Center, Brennan said. Bainum died around 11 p.m. of complications from an aortic aneurysm, said Honolulu medical examiner Dr. Kanthi De Alwis.

There were no warning signs other than chest pain, said Mallory Fujitani, Bainum's senior adviser.