6 parties qualify to field
candidates for elections

Hawaii voters will have six parties to choose from when they vote for governor this year, the state's elections official said Friday.

Chief Election Officer Dwayne Yoshina said the six have qualified to field candidates for this year's elections. The Libertarian Party of Hawaii and first-time qualifier Free Energy Party of Hawaii have completed the petition and challenge process, he said.

Already qualified are the Democratic, Republican, Green and Natural Law parties.

The Libertarian Party appeared on previous primary election ballots but had to requalify because it failed to garner enough votes or field enough candidates in the previous election, Yoshina said.

Parties that did not automatically qualify in the last election had to gather 638 registered voter signatures -- one-tenth of 1 percent of total registered voters in the previous general election -- to appear on the primary ballot and complete a 20-day challenge period.

Daniel Cunningham, a Honolulu resident who created the Free Energy Party, said its goal is to provide free electricity for everyone as a means of solving social and economic problems.

He said he is the party's candidate for governor, but that and lieutenant governor are the only offices it will contest.

Adler picks running mate

HILO >> Big Island gubernatorial hopeful Jonathan Adler, running as a Natural Law Party candidate, has named Waimea physician Daniel Morimoto as his running mate seeking the lieutenant governor's post.

Morimoto, along with attorney Katsuya Yamada, recently brought a court action against part of the planned Saddle Road realignment that would run through a dry-land forest with several endangered species.

A Hilo judge turned down their challenge.

Adler is widely known for his advocacy of marijuana legalization, including for its religious and medical use.

But Adler made no mention of marijuana in his announcement on Morimoto.

"Adler says he will focus their campaign on wasted government spending. Education, prisons, taxes, sovereignty, political insider deals and legislative failures will be problems that must be addressed by the next administration," a campaign statement said.

Democrats delay meeting

Democrats traditionally hold their biennial state convention over the Memorial Day weekend, but this year it has been pushed back a week, to May 31-June 2.

Chris Ovitt, party executive director, said the switch was made because the party needed more time to get everything ready for this year's convention.

"Because it is a major election year, the added preparation time is a big help," Ovitt said.

Also, the Democrats were having trouble finding a hotel for the convention, saying the usual hotels already had been booked.

Ovitt said the Democrats are hoping to have 1,000 delegates attend the convention.

Advertiser pitch criticized

State Rep. Joe Gomes (R, Waimanalo-Enchanted Lakes) gave an e-scolding to a Honolulu Advertiser advertising salesman, who sent a solicitation to Gomes' legislative e-mail account encouraging him to learn about the "many advertising options ... to promote your candidacy."

"Please correct me if I am wrong," Gomes shot back in an e-mail that was also sent to many of his colleagues, "but I recall the Advertiser has long been concerned about the inappropriate use of government resources for clearly political reasons. Unless it reversed this position, your unsolicited 'opportunity' on behalf of the Advertiser is clearly inconsistent with that view."

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