Hannemann hopes
Harris runs for gov

The mayoral hopeful says politics
plays no role in the Harris probe

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By Gordon Y.K. Pang
gpang@starbulletin.com

Mayoral candidate Mufi Hannemann says the executive director of the Campaign Spending Commission is not doing him any favors by investigating whether Mayor Jeremy Harris' election team violated campaign spending laws.

"I want to be mayor. He needs to run for governor," Hannemann said at a news conference yesterday.

Speculation has run rampant that Harris will change his mind about running for governor and not resign in July as he initially announced, a scenario the mayor has denied considering.

That would leave Hannemann and others without a race.

Harris has repeatedly accused Bob Watada of singling him out for investigation, noting that he once supported Hannemann -- the mayor's longtime political foe who challenged him for the city's top seat in 2000.

Hannemann said Watada helped in his 1986 congressional race but has not supported him since, a position Watada has independently stated.

"Bob is a very fair and, in my mind, very decent and honorable man," Hannemann said. "He's just doing his job."

Hannemann yesterday also noted that Watada told him two years ago he could not obtain additional donations for his campaign for mayor from people who gave the maximum amount for his 1998 Council campaign because it fell within the same four-year campaign reporting period.

Watada, citing the same rule, told Harris this year that he cannot accept additional donations for his campaign for governor from people who gave the maximum amount for his 2000 bid for mayor. The Harris camp has said it will contest the interpretation.

The commission voted on Tuesday to forward its investigation into Harris' campaign to city Prosecutor Peter Carlisle.

Meanwhile, Hannemann received yesterday the endorsement of the United Public Workers, the 1260 and 1357 locals of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 480. All four also endorsed Hannemann in his unsuccessful 2000 bid for mayor.

The unions join three others that have supported Hannemann's campaign this year.

Hannemann said he is undaunted by the talk that Harris will bow out of the gubernatorial race, leaving him and four other major mayoral candidates without a race, stating, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

There has been rampant speculation that City Councilman Duke Bainum will drop out of the mayor's race. Bainum said yesterday that he has not made a decision and will be talking to supporters through next week.

Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono and former Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro, like Hannemann, have stated they intend to stay in the race.