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Jeremy Harris, Mufi Hannemann and Frank Fasi doled out nearly $4 million in their race for Honolulu's top dog, with Harris spending some $2.5 million to successfully win re-election. Mayoral candidates
spent $4 million
for ads, expensesHarris spent the most at $2.5 million
and still has $350,000 left overBy Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-BulletinThe figures were found among primary election reports that had to be filed with the Campaign Spending Commission by yesterday.
The totals exceed the spending numbers reached in 1996 when Harris last ran for mayor and spent roughly $1.3 million to win his first four-year term.
Perhaps more important for the returning mayor: the Harris 2000 Campaign Committee departs with a healthy, $350,000-plus balance that will make nice start-up money if he chooses to run for governor two years from now.
One key reason Harris has a healthy reserve is that the mayor was able to capture more than 50 percent of the vote in the Sept. 23 primary. Under city law, this eliminated the need for him to face off against second-place finisher Hannemann.
The media blitz intensified during the last two weeks of the campaign, with Harris spending $544,000, Hannemann $121,000 and Fasi $31,000.
Perhaps even more telling, the mayor amassed $481,000 during the final two weeks of the campaign. Hannemann could muster only $49,000 during the same period. Fasi, the longtime mayor who now has not won in his last four attempts at public office, got only $400 and had to add an additional $31,000 to the $206,000 he had already loaned himself for this race.
Laird Christianson Advertising Inc., which did the bulk of the mayor's media campaign, was paid $763,000 over the course of the election. Others receiving business from the Harris camp included the U.S. Postal Service ($75,900), Aloha Direct ($60,300), Service Printers Inc. ($41,300) and Pacific Sign and Graphics ($36,500).
Myers Advertising, which conducted Hannemann's media campaign, was paid $881,400 for its efforts. The Postal Service also benefited from the Hannemann campaign, receiving $19,600.
Repeating the trend set by Harris, newly elected City Council members Romy Cachola and Gary Okino were also able to raise and spend more funds than their nearest competitors.
Cachola, who faced little opposition in eight terms as a member of the state House of Representatives, entered the District 7 Council race with $178,500. He collected another $182,000 during the election and spent $203,000. He has a balance of $158,000.
Second-place finisher Dennis Nakasato received $43,500, disbursed $33,500 and has a cash balance of $10,000. Nakasato, a former state senator, loaned $6,700 to himself.
Okino, a longtime city planner making his first attempt at public office, had receipts totaling $71,800, disbursements of $51,900 and a closing balance of $19,900, including $6,000 in loans to himself.
Richard Nono, who finished second in the District 8 Council competition, listed receipts of $17,700, expenditures of $18,000 and about $5,000 in unpaid expenditures.
Starbulletin.com Election Results
State Office of Elections
