"Nowhere in my literature does it say 'LDS,' " he said. "It's been highlighted because of the controversies," such as the fight over Main Street Plaza. "But I've always said, 'Hey guys, this race is not about religion.' " While Hola says he's not ashamed of his religious or ethnic heritage, he doesn't want to be viewed as "the Mormon candidate" or the minorities' candidate. "I'm looking for support from people in the 25-45 age group . . . , people who needed a reason to be involved and needed someone to believe in." Phil Uipi, the only Pacific Islander ever elected to the Utah Legislature, said Hola must win the support of the general population. And if you think the whiter side of Salt Lake City wouldn't support a Tongan, think again, says Uipi, who won in a district that included Mount Olympus, Millcreek and other upper east-side neighborhoods.

"He has a very good chance to win," Uipi said. "He has the mentality to win." Hola is well aware of the image of Polynesians in Utah: They're good athletes; they're laid back. He won't go to see "Whale Rider," the story of a Pacific Islander legend and its modern effects on a Maori family. He's wary of stereotypical portrayals — and rightly so, said his sister. Mila rented "The Other Side of Heaven," about an LDS missionary's work in Tonga. The islanders are portrayed as primitives, she said, and that perception persists in Utah.

Hola doesn't spend much breath trying to debunk such stereotypes. He'd rather talk about 2004. "Let's focus on what we need to do to make our city go forward," he said. If people have differing ideas, "Let's tangle." And if his own ideas turn out to be unworkable, he says he'll scrap them. "A little 'sorry' can go so far. That word has been missing in politicians' vocabulary," he said.

"The dynamics, the demographics of the city are changing," Hola added. "You need a guy who can bring people together. This is a guy from the west side who went to Harvard. I can sit down with all kinds of people. I believe that so firmly: I am the future of Salt Lake City."

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E-MAIL: durbani@desnews.com

Mayoral candidate profiles:

Today: Molonai Hola

Tuesday: Frank Pignanelli

Wednesday: Rocky Anderson