Candidates trade Democratic Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono celebrated her 55th birthday yesterday with a few low-key campaign appearances on Oahu while Republican Linda Lingle spent the day in a high-energy islandwide bus tour culminating with a rally at her Ala Moana headquarters.
jabs over style
in final round
Lingle stumps across
the isle while Hirono helps
with a beach park cleanupBusiness-labor rift in endorsements
Tight election may boost turnout.
Voting.information
By Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.comThe style difference gave them room to trade jabs as the dead-heat race entered its final days.
Lingle found fault with Hirono's low-key approach. "I think maybe it's a little inexperience on her part and her campaign's part to be low-key two days before the election because it gives the impression of not being energized," she said.
"We really want to win this race," said Lingle. "We're not casual about this."
Hirono dismissed Lingle's frenetic schedule as desperation.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Republican gubernatorial candidate Linda Lingle thanked her supporters yesterday evening during a gathering held for her campaign workers at her Ala Moana headquarters.
"The fact that she's running around on the last days, maybe that shows how frantic she is," Hirono said.
"I have faith," Hirono said. "I'm really optimistic."
A Star-Bulletin/KITV 4 News poll showed the race for governor a dead heat last week, with each candidate holding 40 percent of the vote and 18 percent of voters undecided.
Hirono arrived at Imu Park in Pearl City just after 1 p.m. to congratulate members of the Pearl City High School football team on their first winning season in 16 years.
She passed out personalized letters to each player as the team tied for second in the Oahu Interscholastic Association's White Conference.
First-year Pearl City head coach Onosai Tanuvasa invited Hirono and other community leaders to speak at yesterday's event acknowledging the team's success.
Tanuvasa, a Hirono supporter, said he believes Hirono will be a good leader for the state because she represents family values, education and assisting the less fortunate.
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono made an appearance yesterday at a Pearl City High School football team luau at Imu Park in Pearl City. It was her birthday, and she was presented with a cake by Kainoa Cook, right.
"Mazie supports the people's lifestyles here in Hawaii," Tanuvasa said.
Moreover, she supports programs such as Medicaid and reducing the cost of prescription drugs for senior citizens, he added.
Lingle kicked off her day at 9:30 a.m. waving signs at Nanakuli Beach Park. Afterward, Lingle, followed by two busloads of supporters, drove to Kapolei, Mililani and Pearl City for more sign waving. Two more school buses were rented to accommodate the growing number of supporters who joined in throughout the day.
A convoy of motorcyclists, two trolleys and classic automobile drivers joined Lingle as she traveled to Kaneohe, Waimanalo and Hawaii Kai.
"I think everybody appreciated it in their community that we took the time to come out there," Lingle said.
Before her Pearl City visit, Hirono started around 7 a.m. meeting with workers at various Waikiki hotels. Afterward, she attended the grand opening of the new Hawaii State Art Museum at the old YMCA building at Richards and Hotel streets. In the late afternoon, Hirono spent a couple of hours with her supporters in a Magic Island cleanup.
The Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, Sen. Matt Matsunaga, spent the day campaigning on the Big Island while Republican James "Duke" Aiona was touring Oahu with Lingle.
Lingle supporters ended their daylong sign-waving campaign around 6:30 p.m. at her headquarters on Ala Moana.
Kaneohe resident Donna Rewick, who joined in the daylong campaign, believes Lingle is the best candidate for governor based on her plans to improve education in public schools as well as make changes with the state Board of Education.
Lingle's proposal for seven local boards will "work much more effectively," Rewick said.
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