by Terri Inefuku, KGMB9 [1]

Sen. Daniel Akaka is confident going into Tuesday's general election.

"I feel so happy that we've set a strategy for me for the general election," Akaka told KGMB9. "We've been following it, and the strategy was to meet as many people as I can in communities, which I've done."

Others are confident too. Just past the front steps of the Department of Education, supporters rallied for more Democrats in Washington.

"If we can get our people out to vote, Democrats win and Hawaii wins," said Democratic Party chairman Mike McCartney.

Akaka is hoping voters put him back into the Senate seat - the one he's sat in for the past 16 years.

His goals for this next term, if re-elected: removing U.S. troops from Iraq and expanding research on hydrogen fuel to ease America's dependence on oil.

"If you look at my record, from day one I've been working hard in energy, reducing the use of oil in Hawaii as well and to come about with alternative energy," Akaka said.

The 82-year-old doesn't have much to say about his Republican opponent, Cynthia Thielen. Nor does he acknowledge a press release sent out by her camp saying his approval rating has dropped below 50 percent.

"She can do that. She has every right to do that. But I'd like to know her reasons for doing that and her support information on that," Akaka said.

"I feel I've done real well for Hawaii and for our great country and I'll continue to do that," he said.