Dem coalition A group of longtime Democrats announced yesterday that they will cross party lines to vote for Linda Lingle and Duke Aiona for governor and lieutenant governor.
backs Lingle
The group says the Republican
candidate represents necessary changeBy Diana Leone
dleone@starbulletin.com
At a press conference yesterday announcing "Democrats for Lingle/Aiona," Lingle called the group "not only Democrats, but patriots of Hawaii."
"They agree change is coming," Lingle said.
Honolulu Fire Department captain and former City Council candidate Richard Soo, who is listed as leader of the coalition, said this will be the first time he's voted Republican in any race.
"I'm from Palolo, 9th Avenue, raised in a blue-collar house," Soo said. But he sees Lingle as a good manager and a centrist who will be able to work with Democrats.
Soo said he hopes more Democrats will identify themselves as Lingle supporters, even if only "to tell a friend, 'Hey, I'm a Democrat, but I'm going to vote for Lingle.'"
Others named as Lingle/Aiona supporters include Honolulu City Councilman John DeSoto, former radio personality and businessmen Rick Manayan, Honolulu attorneys Janice Wolf and Ken Marcus, businessman Ben Sanchez, Hilo attorney and former corporation counsel Ted Hong, Queenie Pezario and Ted Daligdig of Kauai, retired Honolulu Fire Chief Donald Chang, retired Corrections Division administrator Elena Pope and Maui attorney Dani Ho.
Chang and several others who spoke at the press conference said they are not supporting the Republican Party, but are supporting the people who will make a change.
"I didn't leave the Democratic Party; the Democratic Party left all of us," Hong said. "Lingle and Aiona are the only candidates who have a meaningful plan for change."
Television ads featuring the theme of Democrats supporting Lingle and Aiona began airing yesterday.
Mazie Hirono, the Democratic candidate for governor, responded through spokeswoman Barbara Tanabe that "we respect every individual's right to express an opinion and to vote for whomever they prefer to support."
"As I understand it, the reason why these Democrats decided to vote for Lingle is change," Tanabe paraphrased Hirono. "But it's the Democrats who have been making change."
Tanabe said two examples of Democratic Party-led change were lower prescription drug costs this year and a $2 billion tax cut plan passed by the 2001-2002 Legislature.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
