Republican primary
produces surprise
challenger to Inouye
Party leaders aren't planning
By Craig Gima
to lend their support, though
one woman won 27,004 votes
Star-BulletinWhen the ballots were counted in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, party leaders were left scratching their heads over how 57-year-old Crystal Young won the nomination to run against longtime Democratic incumbent Daniel Inouye.
They're still wondering.
Young said she has been an astrologer and a "legislative bill writer." But her bill-writing experience consists of writing letters to people like House Speaker Newt Gingrich and state Rep. Dennis Arakaki. The letters are handwritten in the form of legislative bills or resolutions.
Crystal Young, Republican challenger to
Democratic incumbent Daniel Inouye
The "bills" promote ideas like annexing the Mexican state of Baja, California, to be part of the U.S. state of California, preventing the stealing of organs from homeless people, staggering school hours to keep bullies away from the smarter kids, and clearing the mountains in the Los Angeles basin so the Santa Ana winds can blow the smog away.When asked about the race, Republican Party Chairwoman Donna Alcantara tried to distance herself and the party from Young.
"Someone had to win the primary and she did, and whatever she's doing, she's doing on her own and we are unable to help her out in any way," Alcantara said. "Whatever happens, it could be kind of up to her."
Alcantara said the party is focusing its attention on the state House and Senate races along with the governor's race and has not targeted the U.S. Senate.
In the living room of a home where she rents a room in Kalihi Valley, Young brought out a plastic Longs Drug store bag with her campaign materials. They consisted of writings in red and blue ink on white poster board covered in a clear plastic wrap and copies of hand-written responses to candidate surveys. The writings list some of the "bills" she has written.
In response to a Star-Bulletin candidate survey, Young explained why she is opposed to irradiation of food: "The vitamins and minerals are murdered in this process."
She also wrote that she would like to see TheBus use "Pink premium gasoline from Libiya Libya, instead of regergitated gasoline from Los Angeles that kill, the greenery."
Young said she lives on Social Security disability payments. She explained that her disability is caused by electromagnetic needles planted in her body by Shirley MacLaine.
Young has not actively campaigned in either the primary or general election, but said she would like the opportunity to debate Inouye.
Alcantara speculated that Young won the Republican nomination without campaigning because she was the only female out of the nine candidates and had an Asian last name.
Of those nine Republicans, Young got 27,004 votes. More than 63,000 people cast blank votes.
Young’s runner-up
still campaigning
for GOP nodJay Friedheim says he's spent
By Craig Gima
$25,000 on the primary race and
his 'lemoncrats' ads are working
Star-BulletinThere's another twist in the Republican contest for the U.S. Senate.
While nominee Crystal Young is not actively campaigning, the second-place candidate is. Despite losing in the primary election by more than 7,500 votes, Jay Friedheim has been running small ads in the newspaper with captions like "auwe miracle?" and "lemoncrats."
"What do you think that means?" Fried-heim said when asked about the ads.
Friedheim said he is limited by space in his ads and tries to come up with short, catchy phrases.
"Linda's the Maui miracle, I'm the auwe miracle," he said.
Friedheim is running the ads to build name recognition for a U.S. Senate run in the year 2000. He also is still hoping that somehow Young will be disqualified and the local Republican Party will name him to take her place in November.
Friedheim said he spent $25,000 in his unsuccessful campaign to win the primary, but is getting more attention from the $4,000 he's spent on the small ads he's run since the election promoting his, at present, nonexistent candidacy.
