Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s re-election campaign is the definition of the well-heeled, traditional Hawaii political campaign.

This is how major local Democrats have always done it.

From the over-the-top fundraising to turning out the big union support and amassing an all-encompassing organization, Caldwell is at the head of a classic, local Democratic campaign.

Besides not forgetting the T-shirts for the sign-wavers or the email and Instagram messaging, Caldwell’s campaign is helped by being in office and heading up a street-repaving program, plus promising new parks and housing plans. Caldwell’s running like a successful mayor, filling in potholes and offering promises with a city management in sync with his campaign.

He should have a clear shot, but this week’s entry of former City Councilman and U.S. Rep. Charles Djou into the race gives pause.

The 45-year-old local attorney has been running in local campaigns since 1998. He has won as a state House member, a City Councilman and triumphed in a crowded winner-take-all special election for Congress. Djou also has lost in three congressional general election races.

Now he is pitting himself against Caldwell and former Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle.

Carlisle, who’s also a former Honolulu city prosecutor, seems to have entered the race without a full-blown campaign plan, but he is still likely to help make the primary race between the three a tight contest.

If no one gets a majority, 50 percent plus 1 more vote, the two highest vote-getters will go on to the general election.

Caldwell enjoys relatively strong approval ratings — 59 percent in the January Hawaii Poll — but when paired against other potential candidates, including former GOP Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona, Caldwell loses. So there could be a strong argument made for Djou’s candidacy.

“I was hoping not to run, and remain just a normal father and husband, I enjoyed that, but I see a complete breakdown in trust at Honolulu Hale; someone has to confront the problems and I saw no one was going to run,” said Djou in an interview.

Djou’s entry prompted support from the oddest pairing: both former Gov. Ben Cayetano, as blue a Democrat as Hawaii can offer, and Aiona, who comes from the conservative Christian wing of the Republican Party.

“Djou is not beholden to union leaders, real estate developers and other special interests,” Cayetano said on his Facebook page.

Having that sort of a dichotomy of support is what Djou hopes will provide a formula to win.

Obviously a big issue, as it has been in the last two mayoral campaigns, is rail: how to build it and how to pay for it. Djou figures that unlike Caldwell and Carlisle, he was never a supporter, but now that it is started, he thinks it should be finished, though he stopped short of saying how far down the route he is willing to go.

“The problem is not with the leadership at HART (the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation) or the rail board. The problem is leadership from the mayor’s office,” Djou said.

“Rail is going to happen, but those in the pro-rail segment need to understand we cannot cash an unlimited amount of blank checks for rail,” said Djou. “My position is different from both Kirk and Peter.”

That may sound better as campaign rhetoric than as a realistic plan, but it will be popular, and Djou’s call to not spend any more will be setting much of the agenda for the rail debate this campaign season.

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com