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Big Island mayoral
candidate determined to
crash the party

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By Rod Thompson
Star-Bulletin

HILO -- Green Party candidate Darryl "Buck" Wheat says he is serious enough about his campaign for Big Island mayor that he plans to spend some money on it.

"I want to run for mayor, simple as that," he says.

The problem is, the Green Party doesn't want him to run. The party was to file an action in Kona Circuit Court yesterday to disqualify Wheat. There was no confirmation the action was filed.

The Greens say Wheat, 49, a Hilo small businessman, isn't a party member, so he doesn't meet party requirements to run.

Darryl 'Buck' Wheat
CANDIDATE FOR BIG ISLAND MAYOR
"I want to run for mayor, simple as that.
I ain't backing down. I see businesses
closing up all over town."

Wheat says he is concerned about small businesses and nature. "I see businesses closing up all over town." He has a concept for a huge African animal park in Kau.

He left a message with some Libertarians, but they never called back. He considered the Reform Party, but the party isn't organized here. So he settled on the Greens.

When he filed papers with the county, an elections officer told him to sign up with Greens, too. Wheat says he sent them a letter, but they say they never got it.

The Greens also told him a Green candidate must be a party member at least 30 days before filing. But Wheat has a July 31 voice message from Green co-chairperson Ira Rohter saying the 30-day-rule had not been filed with the state at that time.

Wheat says he hasn't met fellow Green mayoral candidate Keiko Bonk, a former County Council member, and has nothing against her. Bonk declined to comment, saying the decision to challenge Wheat's candidacy was made by the party, not by her. Wheat says the party asked him to withdraw, but state law allows that only on medical grounds, and he isn't sick. "I ain't backing down," he said.

Green co-chairpersons Rohter and Jeanne O'Brien could not be reached for comment.