Lingle’s mainland sojourn
increases campaign coffers
A combination political and personal trip to the mainland has proved successful for Gov. Linda Lingle's campaign.
A series of fund-raisers in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, Ore., this week are expected to raise $225,000 for Lingle's campaign. Last week, Lingle held a series of 50th-birthday celebrations across the islands that was expected to net more than $300,000.
Miriam Hellreich, Lingle campaign spokeswoman, said that on Wednesday the governor was the guest of honor at a reception and dinner organized by Castle & Cooke Chairman David Murdock.
The billionaire owner of much of Lanai is also the owner of the Regency Club in Los Angeles, where the Wednesday night dinner was held.
Lingle, who, according to spokesman Lenny Klompus, was not traveling with state funds, held a breakfast fund-raiser yesterday in Menlo Park and a lunch in San Francisco.
"She met with business types, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and a broad cross-section of people who are interested in Hawaii," Hellreich said.
"She has quite a following here because she went to school here (Birmingham High School, a public school in Lake Balboa, and California State University at Northridge). They still regard her as a kind of hometown girl.
"Even though she didn't live in California for much of her life, they have adopted her," Hellreich said.
Tomorrow, Lingle will be the keynote speaker at the Western States Republican Leadership conference in Portland.
The Oregon GOP plans to host a small reception for Lingle in Portland, Hellreich said.