In 1980, Anderson defeated popular incumbent
Frank Fasi with seventy percent of the vote. With the unpredicted surprise landslide victory against Fasi and his notoriously powerful machine, that year Anderson was named
Hawaii Business Magazine "Woman of the Year 1980". and leaving office in 1985. Anderson's tenure as mayor was highlighted by her promise to continue development of the island of
Oahu but with fiscal responsibility. Awana helped run Anderson's failed re-election campaign against Fasi. Anderson appointed Andy Chang as managing director of Honolulu. Chang would continue to serve the city and county in various capacities after Anderson's departure from office.
Honolulu Area Rail Rapid Transit Anderson's vow of fiscal responsibility was maintained in her cancellation of the Honolulu Area Rail Rapid Transit project, which was planned in the 1970s and close to construction approval. Popularly known as HART, the project in its original form would have built a
heavy rail system with twenty-three miles of track featuring twenty-one stations from
Pearl City in central Oahu to
Hawaii Kai in East Oahu. She declined US$5.75 million from the
Federal government of the United States saying, "Why spend five million dollars on a system that won't be built? With growing development leading to increased traffic congestion on Oahu, the city and county continued to make
public transit a focus of public debate during Anderson and Fasi's tenures. On October 6, 1981, Anderson announced she hoped to study the
San Diego Trolley, a system funded with gas taxes. Anderson subsequently sought a political comeback by seeking the nomination of her party for
lieutenant governor in 1986. Anderson lost the primary election to
state senator Ben Cayetano, who later served alongside Hawaii Governor
John Waihee before becoming governor himself. ==Popular culture==