After an unsuccessful run for the state House, Republican legislative aide and tea party activist Tom Berg emerged victorious yesterday in the special election for City Council.

Berg, 46, will serve the remaining two years on the term vacated by Todd Apo, the former Council chairman who resigned last month to take a job with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in Hawaii.

Berg credited victory to his message of lower taxes and limited government — hallmarks of the tea party movement across the country.

"It’s not just my victory, it’s a victory of an ideology," Berg said last night. "For all the conservatives, and even those that aren’t of a conservative nature … this is a people’s victory."

Berg, a Leeward community activist and neighborhood board member, won with 2,308 votes, about 18 percent of the vote.

Jason Espero, son of state Sen. Will Espero, was second with 1,947 votes, about 16 percent, and union lobbyist Mel Kahele was third with 1,634 votes, about 13 percent.

In all, 12,534 of 53,753 ballots from the Leeward Coast-Ewa City Council District 1 were returned. Only 23.3 percent of eligible voters participated.

The voter turnout was about half that of two special elections last year.

About 41 percent and 45 percent of voters returned ballots in all-mail special elections held last year in Council District 3 (Kaneohe-Kailua-Waimanalo) and District 5 (Palolo-Makiki), respectively.

Despite the low numbers, Berg said he feels he can accurately represent the concerns of the district.

"All these communities know what the issues are," he said. "The people have already drawn up the template. I’m just a conduit. I’m just there to read their blueprint that they’ve drafted and bring that to examine and get that vetted on the Council."

He said his focus would be on transportation projects and ways to relieve traffic congestion. He said the city should apply for tax-exempt bonds offered by the federal government to transform unused easements into usable lanes without the need to raise taxes.

"Goods, services and freight do not benefit off of rail," he said. "There’s all kinds of ideas for transportation — that’s my first priority. That’s what we’re suffering out here in District 1.

"We need to get back into the roadway-building business."

Berg won the Council race with slightly more votes than he received in this year’s unsuccessful race against state Rep. Rida Cabanilla (D, Waipahu-Ewa). In that race, he lost after receiving only 2,177 votes.

He also ran against Cabanilla in 2008 and lost, both times as the Republican nominee from the district. Berg, who was Cabanilla’s aide until a falling out that year, now works for GOP state Rep. Kymberly Pine.

Berg raised $4,390 for the race from the end of the general election through Dec. 14, according to reports filed with the state Campaign Spending Commission. He spent only $1,047, but still owes close to $17,000 in campaign debt from his previous statewide races.

Kahele, legislative lobbyist for the Ironworkers Union, was among the top spenders in the race, raising about $19,000 and spending about $13,000.