The day after comfortably winning re-election, Mayor Mufi Hannemann spent most of his time thanking supporters, but also again sharply criticizing the failed campaign of opponent City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi.

    Many Voted Yes To Mufi & Rail  

 

 

Hannemann and rail transit wins votes and Hannemann wants to convince locals who are still against it, that rail is the way to go.

 

[ Watch ]

 

 

 

 

  After a boisterous victory party Tuesday night at Dole Cannery Ballroom, Hannemann woke up early for a news media blitz, appearing on all four local news stations for their morning shows.

“;I'm extremely humbled and grateful for all the support,”; Hannemann said.

Tuesday night was a success for Hannemann with an easy re-election, an approval from Oahu voters to build his $5 billion rail transit system and the presidential election of Hawaii-born Sen. Barack Obama.

But while Hannemann, in his victory speech, spoke of reaching out to Kobayashi's supporters, he reiterated past criticism of her campaign yesterday morning.

“;It was clear that Kobayashi lost because she was being pushed and manipulated by those who had a different agenda,”; Hannemann said. “;This was not a one-against-one race. It was one against eight or nine, people who want to be governor or senator in the future. Rail was only a part of it.”;

Kobayashi's campaign said her late entrance into the race hampered her ability to get her message out and to raise enough money to combat Hannemann's $3 million. Kobayashi entered the race on the last day possible in July after many supporters, including widely known politicians who clash with Hannemann, pushed her to challenge the mayor.

City Councilman Charles Djou, who has already announced that he will be running for Congress in 2010, rejected that claim, saying he would have supported Kobayashi over Hannemann regardless of his political ambitions.

“;I believe Ann Kobayashi truly, sincerely wanted to be the mayor of the City and County of Honolulu,”; Djou said.

Hannemann still refused yesterday to say whether he'd run for a higher office in 2010 with an open governor's race and possible vacancies in Congress but has kept those options open.

With the end of a campaign that went on longer than Hannemann had hoped, he will return to Honolulu Hale with a focus on the city's elevated, 20-mile rail transit system.

Hannemann hopes with the approval by voters of the rail transit system, the anti-rail community and politicians would back the project.

“;While I am very much disappointed in the result of the rail vote, I also will respect the will of the voters,”; said Djou, a rail opponent.

Meanwhile, Hannemann will also have to work with a City Council that is gaining a new member, his 2004 mayoral opponent, Duke Bainum.

A Manoa community group launched a campaign to vote “;blank”; against Bainum, who ran uncontested after Kobayashi's late entrance into the mayor's race.

Bainum received 14,434 blank votes, or 42.6 percent.

“;That's embarrassing,”; Hannemann said. “;That's a statement of disappointment and protest.”;

Bainum noted that other incumbents had received a high percentage of blank votes in the past, including City Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz with 37 percent in 2006 and Djou with 37 percent.

“;We were kind of surprised,”; Bainum said. “;We anticipated it be a little higher. I was under attack by the mayor, but I am going to continue to work hard for my constituents.”;