Kaneshiro outspends
Carlisle for prosecutor

Challenger Keith Kaneshiro outspent his opponent, city Prosecutor Peter Carlisle, by nearly $50,000 during the last two months, according to state campaign spending reports.

RACE FOR HONOLULU PROSECUTOR A look at the campaign spending reports of the two prosecutor front-runners, in the period from July 1 to Sept. 3: Peter Carlisle Collected: $57,338 Spent: $82,054 Cash on hand: $11,363 Keith Kaneshiro Collected: $98,736 Spent: $130,351 Cash on hand: $13,753

From July 1 to last Friday, Kaneshiro collected $98,736 in contributions and spent $130,351, leaving him with $13,752 cash on hand.

Over the same period, Carlisle reported he received $57,338 in contributions and spent $82,054. He has $11,363 cash on hand with no outstanding loans or bills.

Carlisle said he does not need to match Kaneshiro's spending, pointing out that he was outspent by his opponents in his two previous campaigns. He said what will get him elected is what he did as prosecutor the last eight years.

"My record is there. We just need to remind people of my record," he said.

Incumbents have an advantage over their challengers because they have been in the public eye by virtue of their office, said Lynne Waters, who is handling Kaneshiro's media campaign. Even though Kaneshiro served two terms as prosecutor before Carlisle, he has been out of the public eye since 1998, when he left his job as director of the state Department of Public Safety, she said.

"We have to reintroduce him and his record," Waters said. "If you want to be able to get your message out, you've got to be willing to spend the extra money."

In the first six months of the year, Carlisle collected $35,936 and spent $5,928.

Kaneshiro received and spent no money over the same period.

Because Carlisle and Kaneshiro are the only two candidates for prosecutor in this year's elections, whoever receives 50 percent of the votes plus one vote on Sept. 18 will win the election.