Galuteria’s Hannemann ad
was made in ’02
Mayoral candidate Duke Bainum criticized the chairman of the Hawaii Democratic Party for helping to make a television commercial for opponent Mufi Hannemann.
Brickwood Galuteria's voice can be heard on the spot featuring the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association endorsement of Hannemann, which completed a run earlier this week. The ads began appearing after the union announced July 6 that it was supporting Hannemann.
Bainum said he was "surprised and disappointed" that Galuteria would do a voice-over for another candidate. He said he had no idea that Galuteria had done the ad until he saw the spot while watching the TV news one night.
"Clearly, the role of chairman has always been to remain neutral," Bainum said. "As shortly as two weeks ago, I was assured by Mr. Galuteria in conversation that he not only is neutral, but will remain neutral."
Galuteria, who is also a radio and television personality, said he did the commercial for Hannemann before becoming party chairman in May and also before the union endorsed Hannemann last week in the nonpartisan mayor's race.
"Yeah, Mufi pulled that out. I did that a long time before I got the chair. He apparently pulled it out of the archives," Galuteria said. "If you are trying to nail me on something I did after the chair, not the case. I did that before I became chair."
Elisa Yadao, spokeswoman for the Hannemann campaign, said the spot was produced after the union endorsed Hannemann two years ago when Mayor Jeremy Harris was expected to resign to run for governor. Harris instead decided to finish his term, thwarting expectations of a midterm election for mayor.
"I don't believe the spot ever ran (in 2002)," Yadao said. "So when we got the endorsement again, the ad was still current, and we just freshened it up and made it current."
Both Bainum and Hannemann are Democrats, but the mayoral race is nonpartisan.
Bainum called on Galuteria to set the record straight.
"I think that should take the form of a letter to the Democratic Party members and hopefully to the media at large, reiterating that he is neutral and will remain neutral and that his appearance in that ad in no way should be construed as an endorsement for any candidate."
Galuteria said, "We addressed it, it should be off the air now, and being a fair guy, I asked Duke if he wanted me to roll one out for him."
Bainum said Galuteria did make the offer to someone in his campaign, but "I have to think about that," he said.
Yadao said Galuteria's work on the ad was only as a professional voice talent, and she does not believe viewers are misled to think that Galuteria's voice work translates into support for Hannemann.
"At the time the spot was produced, it was prior to (Galuteria) taking the (chairman's) position. It isn't a personal endorsement for Mufi. He doesn't identify himself anywhere in the spot, nor does he identify his position as party chair," Yadao said.
Bainum disagreed.
"I think it's confusing when you hear a well-known voice that everyone knows is now the head of the Democratic Party on a candidate's ad. I think people might interpret it in various ways."