The victors in the six City Council general election races turned out in most cases to be the candidates who spent more. Money mattered in most
of the races for City Council
Lingle campaign sets spending record
By Crystal Kua
ckua@starbulletin.comCampaign spending reports covering the two weeks leading up to the general election showed that in at least four of the six Council races, the winners outspent their opponents.
That was the case with Mike Gabbard, who spent $51,853 to Pam Witty-Oakland's $33,407 in the final two weeks of the campaign for the Council District I (Waianae-Ewa Beach) seat. Throughout the entire campaign season, Gabbard's total expenditures came to $86,688, and Witty-Oakland's were $70,212.
In the District II (Mililani Mauka-Ahuimanu) race, Donovan Dela Cruz outspent Gerald Hagino 2-to-1. Total expenditures for Dela Cruz came to $103,143, and for Hagino, $51,225. Those amounts include $34,952 Dela Cruz spent in the days just before election and $30,590 Hagino paid out during the same period.
In the District IV (East Honolulu) race, former state Rep. Charles Djou's expenses in the campaign totaled $91,228 compared with former city Managing Director Bob Fishman's $73,989. Between Oct. 22 and the election, Djou spent $39,665 while Fishman spent $14,889.
Former state Rep. Nestor Garcia spent nearly six times more than former police Chief Michael Nakamura for the District IX (Kunia-Mililani Town) seat. Garcia spent $45,436 in the campaign, while Nakamura's expenses totaled $7,924. During the reporting period, Garcia's disbursements were $10,163 and Nakamura spent just under $1,000.
The only race in which money did not matter was in the District III (Windward Oahu) race between winner Barbara Marshall and her opponent Stan Koki. Koki spent a total of $100,000 on the race while Marshall spent $34,876. In the days before the election, Koki expended $35,227 to Marshall's $13,562.
Rod Tam, the former state senator, appeared to be the biggest spender with more than $125,000 in total disbursements during the campaign season in the District VI (Makiki-Kalihi Valley) race. The spending report for his opponent John Steelquist was unavailable.
