Former Big Island state Sen. Malama Solomon announced yesterday she will run in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, ensuring the party will have at least one established candidate by the filing deadline next Tuesday.

Solomon is one of the co-chairs of former Mililani state Sen. Randall Iwase's campaign for governor and was an ally of Iwase when they served in the Senate.

Solomon represented Kohala from 1982 until she was defeated in the 1998 primary by state Sen. Lorraine Inouye, D-1st (Hamakua, S. Hilo).

"I am running for this office because I believe in the people of Hawai'i," Solomon said in a statement.

"I am concerned as is my good friend and colleague Randy Iwase that the Lingle administration has been short on results and long on publicity.

"We will expose the reality for the voters to judge."

Iwase, who is running against William Aila Jr. in the Democratic primary for governor, said it was too presumptuous to say he and Solomon would be a team. But he praised her as a "substantial and credible candidate."

"She is someone I have worked with. I'm very comfortable with her. We share similar views on many issues," Iwase said.

"If we are both fortunate enough to win in the primary election, I think we'd make a very formidable and credible and balanced ticket going into the general election."

Democrats were unable to find a challenger to Republican Gov. Linda Lingle until Iwase and Aila stepped forward to fill the void.

The search for a lieutenant governor had been even harder, and the party was a week away from not having a well-known candidate to counter Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona.

There is still speculation that Big Island Mayor Harry Kim will enter the governor's race, and several sources said yesterday that a Kim campaign would likely lead a prominent Democrat to jump into the lieutenant governor's race.

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com.