Colleen Hanabusa and Rick Blangiardi sit essentially in a tie atop the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s new poll for candidates for Honolulu mayor.

Blangiardi, a former television executive and CEO of Hawaii News Now, scored 21% and Hanabusa, the former congresswoman and state senator, had about the same — 20%.

It may be a statistical dead heat but the poll shows fascinating differences between the two candidates. If Hanabusa and Blangiardi are the ones that come in first and second in this month’s primary election, they will advance to the November general election and a runoff.

The pair may be tied today, but the poll shows these are two dramatically different candidates.

Men prefer Blangiardi over Hanabusa 27% to 17%, and women prefer Hanabusa 23% to Blangiardi’s 16%.

In her past two campaigns, Hanabusa has emphasized that as a woman candidate she brings needed qualities to political office. And while Blangiardi hasn’t said the mayorship is a man’s job, he emphasizes his background as a college football player and coach and peppers his ads with descriptions of his ability “to make tough choices” and “tackling the most difficult problems.”

How to choose between the boys and girls, however, isn’t the big item in the poll done by the well-respected national polling firm Mason- Dixon Polling with a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

The big separation is that Blangiardi is liked by 13% of the Democrats and 33% of the Republicans. Hanabusa gets the nod from 27% of the Democrats and 12% of the Republicans.

I doubt there is a voter who recognizes Hanabusa that doesn’t also know she is a Democrat — a vocal, spirited, Waianae Democratic leader.

Blangiardi, however, is another story. When I asked him about his political party preference, he wouldn’t say.

“I am truly an ‘Independent’, and neither a ‘D’ or an ‘R’ because my career in broadcast media required me to always remain neutral politically,” Blangiardi said. On his campaign webpage, he added that “I’m an independent. Always have been. I am liberal in some areas and conservative in others, and I don’t believe either party can lay claim to all of the best ideas in every area.”

Blangiardi is supported by Democrats and also Republicans such as former Gov. Linda Lingle, arguably Hawaii’s most popular Republican.

Still Lingle comes with her own GOP baggage, both from some of her decisions as governor and her speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Lingle, who is Jewish, rallied support among Jewish voters for the Republican Party, and slammed the Democratic Party for its policies on Israel.

This is the same Republican Lingle who at an earlier convention introduced former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as Palin started her vice- presidential campaign.

Being in the political spotlight is almost always good, but in a strong Democratic state like Hawaii, using a dimmer is recommended if you are palling around with Palin or Donald Trump.

Being neutral is one thing, but Blangiardi may find that not having a political home is not the best address, even in a nonpartisan race such as the contest for mayor.

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays. Reach him at 808onpolitics@gmail.com.