Battling down
to the wire
Lingle: The challenger has put a statewide
By Richard Borreca
phone-bank operation into high gear
Cayetano: The governor is reaching out
to women and his neighbor island backers
Star-BulletinIn the closing hours of this race for governor, incumbent Gov. Ben Cayetano is reaching out to women and neighbor-island supporters, while Maui Mayor Linda Lingle has kicked a statewide phone bank operation into high gear.
Both candidates, however, look to their grass-roots campaigns to deliver the knockout blow tomorrow.
"The key in a Democratic campaign is that by Tuesday friends and relatives and families will have talked to each other about what is best for Hawaii," said state Sen. Mike McCartney, a Cayetano campaign spokesman.Lingle's troops, however, see her as running the final few plays in a campaign strategy that was planned months ago.
"The strength of the mayor's is in campaigning in the grass roots; she has to be out with the people," said Kitty Lagareta, the Republican's campaign spokeswoman.Lingle is also sticking with a campaign pledge to not exceed the now self-imposed spending ceiling of $2.7 million, while Cayetano is spending close to $4 million.
"This is a pledge we made, and we are getting blasted in the paid media," Lagareta said.
The Cayetano campaign is reaping the benefits of its union campaign endorsements, as the AFL-CIO and the Carpenters Union are able to run ads attacking Lingle, while the governor keeps his commercials positive.
"We are using positive commercials," McCartney said. "That's what we are finishing with -- the governor with his wife and with the lieutenant governor."
The campaign is also working hard to win women voters. While women traditionally have been considered to be Democratic supporters, Lingle's camp had expected to win over a female majority. So far, according to polls taken for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Lingle is drawing more male than female supporters.
Cayetano also spent some of the weekend on the neighbor islands, trying to shore up the usually Democratic areas.
Lingle, however, started early organizing her neighbor island campaign. Polls show her winning or tied on Maui, ahead on the Big Island but trailing on Kauai. In past races for governor, the Democratic incumbent has been able to count on the neighbor islands to provide the winning margin.
"Maui is critical," McCartney said. "There are a lot of votes there, and our polls show us almost even on Maui."
Lingle's campaign, however, says they are ahead on Maui, her home base, and predicts that they will win it convincingly. In the primary election, Cayetano got more Democratic votes than Lingle got GOP votes.
Lingle says that is because voters stayed in the Democratic primary to vote in a heated county election.
"I feel good about it," Lingle said about tomorrow's election. "I think the public is very excited about the possibility for change."
McCartney, however, says he expects a last-minute shift in momentum to carry the Democrats to victory again.
Polls tomorrow will open at 7 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Anyone in line at 6 p.m. will be allowed to vote. The Office of Elections urges people to vote during off-peak hours: 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. Polls open at 7 a.m.
If you are unsure which precinct you're registered in, call the lieutenant governor's office at 586-0255 or your county clerk's office. On Oahu, the clerk's phone number is 523-4293; Maui, 243-7749; Kauai, 245-4785; Hawaii, 961-8277. For general information on Election Day, call 453-VOTE (8683).
Tomorrow is a holiday for state and county workers, but not for federal or private-sector employees. People who work tomorrow are required by state law to have two consecutive hours off to vote.
If a voter works from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., the voter is entitled to two hours off from work.
Lunch hours are not counted as part of allowable time off to vote.
General Election Guide online
