Mayor sticks
to campaign halt

He reaffirms his choice to put his
campaign on hold until a legal ruling

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By Helen Altonn
haltonn@starbulletin.com

Mayor Jeremy Harris, speaking at a blessing ceremony for the new Waipahu Gym and Recreation Center, confined his remarks to the "beautiful facility" and cooperation of many to get it built.

The words "campaign for governor" didn't come up.

Legally, he said he could have talked about his candidacy because his attorneys obtained a stay on Circuit Judge Sabrina McKenna's decision that he can't remain in office and run for governor.

But he said he decided to abide by the ruling and not campaign until the issue is resolved. "I don't want to appear to be a scofflaw."

For those who think his appearance at the event yesterday amounted to campaigning, he said:

"This is my job as mayor. This is a city project I've worked hard on for two years. I can't stop being mayor, as much as my opponents would like me to."

McKenna's ruling resulted from a lawsuit filed by former legislator and District Judge Russell Blair, who contends Harris was violating the constitutional requirement to leave one office before running for another.

Harris' attorney, Robert Klein, appealed the ruling Friday to the state Supreme Court and Intermediate Court of Appeals. Harris is seeking an expedited decision.

He said he hopes it will come within 30 days because putting his campaign on hold "is doing great damage."

In an interview yesterday at the Waipahu District Park, Harris said his decision not to quit his job as mayor until filing nomination papers for the gubernatorial election was based on precedent.

Hawaii attorneys general have been on record for 24 years as saying potential candidates do not need to resign to run until filing nomination papers in July, he said.

He also cited a ruling by former Circuit Judge Simeon Acoba in 1987 that then-City Council member Marilyn Bornhorst did not have to resign to run for mayor.

"There is no great disagreement on the facts," Harris said. "The question is, what does the (1978) constitutional provision mean?"

He said anyone in city-county government in the future would virtually be eliminated from running for state office under McKenna's interpretation.

Other state laws prescribe what a candidate must do to set up a campaign committee, raise money and file papers with the campaign spending commission, he said.

Most candidates must consider forming a committee and raising campaign funds two years in advance, he said.

Gov. Ben Cayetano said Thursday he didn't think Harris should have stopped campaigning to wait for the Supreme Court ruling and he planned to talk to Attorney General Earl Anzai about joining the legal fight over the state's resign-to-run law.

City Corporation Counsel David Arakawa said he hadn't heard that Anzai has taken such action yet but "it is a statewide issue. It is very unfair."

Harris, asked about public response to the situation, said, "People are outraged. They think something is behind these stumbling blocks in my way."