With a gong-clanging lion dance and scores of supporters in blue T-shirts chanting "Who can? Tam can!" City Councilman Rod Tam yesterday announced that he will run for mayor if Mayor Mufi Hannemann resigns to run for governor in 2010.

Tam, citing his more than 25 years of public service as a state legislator and City Council member, pledged a "positive, innovative, grassroots campaign" that would address the everyday concerns of everyday people.

He made his announcement at the Sun Yat-sen statue at the Chinese Cultural Plaza in Chinatown.

Tam said he will formally file in July.

If elected, Tam promised he "would not be the mayor behind the desk." Instead, he would be out in the community and "listen to people at every level" from the homeless to business leaders, from youth to the elderly.

He also said he would make a special effort to promote Hawai'i's place as "the hub of the Pacific" and cultivate stronger ties with Asian nations such as Japan, China and Taiwan to promote "not just tourism" but business investment, as well.

As for the homeless dilemma, Tam said he would work for a stronger city-state partnership to provide shelter and social services for homeless people.

Longtime Tam supporter Kanya Yi, of the Chinese Women's Benevolent Association of Hawai'i, introduced Tam with a speech in which she said community leaders had asked Tam, who cannot run for a third City Council term, to continue in public life.

"In these tough economic times, Rod Tam can bring communities together to solve common problems, in order to enhance the quality of life for all residents in the City and County of Honolulu," Yi said.

Chinatown businesswoman Chu Lan said she is backing Tam because "we need someone to bring more resources and clean up Chinatown."

Tam said his reason for running is "people want me to stay in public office, so I'm going to run for mayor."

He said his campaign did "not have as much money or resources as others" but he was depending on his grassroots support to see him through.

Hannemann, whose term expires in 2012, must resign as mayor by the July 2010 filing deadline if — as expected — he runs for governor.

That would mean a special election would be held to fill the mayoral vacancy.

City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle, City Managing Director Kirk Caldwell and City Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz are also expected to seek the mayor's office.