In 2011, by the end of his first legislative session as governor, Neil Abercrombie had in effect become a one-term governor.

Legislators saw his demands for action as political suicide, as Abercrombie wanted a tax on pensions, a soda tax, an increase in the liquor tax, a higher tax rate on time shares and the elimination of state Medicare Part B reimbursements for retired public workers and their spouses.

The four-year collapse of Abercrombie’s administration gave birth to the campaign of David Ige, a quiet and well-spoken Democrat with ambitions to become governor.

In many ways, Ige’s first legislative session as governor can be measured as a reaction against the bluster and lectures of Abercrombie.

As the 2015 legislative session ended Thursday, legislators were saying that instead of having a new sheriff in town, they have a partner.

On several important pieces of legislation, Ige had a hand in actually writing the bills under consideration by the House and Senate.

"It was a very successful session for this administration and the Legislature. It was a joint effort," said Ige at a news conference last week.

"This shows what we can do when we are working together," Ige added, pointing to the changes to the Hawaii Health Systems Corp. and the Maui Memorial Hospital privatization bills as "an effort to find common ground and move the bills forward."

Ige explained that on the Maui hospital bill, for instance, although his administration had been testifying on the bill, the legislative committees were not including the administration’s views.

"So I just asked them to take a step back. We agreed on the outcome and we agreed to get the best bill we could," Ige said, adding that his regular meetings with House and Senate leadership and major committee chairpeople paved the way for his legislative victories.

Rep. Sylvia Luke, House Finance Committee chairwoman, said Ige met every week with the House and Senate money committee leaders.

"He (Ige) could offer to act as a moderator," Luke said.

House Speaker Joe Souki marveled at how the executive and legislative branches could come together.

A simple act to host the state House Democrats to an after-work meeting with bentos helped establish a spirit of trust, Souki said.

"What I like about Ige is he is very open and I can call him anytime. I am not unhappy with his style," said Souki, in an-end-of-session interview.

Rep. Scott Saiki, House Democratic leader also agreed, adding that Ige’s office was "able to help iron out differences."

Souki noted that Abercrombie and Ige have different styles.

"Ige has met with us continually and the governor (Abercrombie) had not. The (former) governor was a little more bold in his actions," Souki said.

But, the veteran Maui Democrat cautioned that judging Ige is still early.

"You have to wait a little longer before you can put the egg together. One year doesn’t say it all," Souki said.

Put another way: One egg does not an omelet make, but in comparison to Abercrombie who bellowed at Democrats at a 2011 convention to "Stop the excuses; stop walking around as if you’re not listening to anybody else except yourselves," Ige, by listening, is being heard.

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