Mayoral candidates
have almost run
out of money
Hannemann and Bainum have
little funds left as spending
approaches $5 million
In their quest to become mayor, candidates Duke Bainum and Mufi Hannemann have nearly emptied their campaign coffers, according to their latest campaign spending reports.
Neither Bainum nor Hannemann received the required 50 percent plus one vote to claim victory in last month's primary election, so they are headed to a runoff in the Nov. 2 general election.
But their reports show that since the primary election, both camps have had to start virtually from scratch in financing the six-week march to the general election.
Race for Honolulu MayorHighlights of the campaign spending reports:
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Bainum's report shows that he spent $319,381 during that period, while Hannemann's expenses came to $123,439. Both candidates spent the bulk of their money on advertising.
Total spending in the race so far comes to nearly $1.6 million for Hannemann and $3.1 million for Bainum.
Bainum raised $19,821 during the two-week September period, and Hannemann's receipts came to $123,439, which included a $90,283 loan he made to his campaign.
That left Bainum with a $241 campaign war chest and Hannemann with $32,562.
But with Hannemann's loan and $1.9 million in loans Bainum made to his campaign, both campaigns are now running deficits.
Elisa Yadao, Hannemann campaign spokeswoman, said the loans were necessitated by "a very ambitious" media blitz scheduled near the end of the primary election campaign.
Since the primary, financial support for the campaign has been pouring in, Yadao said.
"People have been very generous, and we have been getting contributions from pretty much all over the place," said Yadao, who added that the campaign will hold a $25-a-person fund-raiser on Thursday. "There is momentum. The support is strong and growing, and I think that's going to be reflected in the fund-raiser."
Hannemann has criticized Bainum during the last several months for using his wealth to loan funds to his campaign.
Yadao said the difference between Hannemann's and Bainum's loans is magnitude.
"We're running against someone who is very wealthy, and he has the ability to fund his own campaign," Yadao said. "We're having to be very smart on how we spend our money, and we're having to pinch pennies and we've got to get our message out."
Bainum's campaign officials declined to comment on the Hannemann loans but noted that Hannemann has run islandwide campaigns previously.
"The Bainum campaign's spending report demonstrates our strong efforts to make sure all Oahu residents know who Duke is, that they understand fully his position on the city's most important issues and that they hear about his vision for Honolulu," campaign spokeswoman Phyllis Kihara said in a statement.
Meanwhile, money appears to be a factor in the results of last month's City Council races.
The winners of the three contested City Council races in the primary election spent more money than their opponents, according to their campaign spending reports.
Councilman-elect Todd Apo spent more than three times as much as his closest opponents to win the open Council District 1 seat, with more than 50 percent of the vote. The seat became vacant after Councilman Mike Gabbard decided to run for Congress instead of re-election.
Apo reported spending $48,883 throughout the campaign. Patty Teruya, who came in second in the primary election, spent $13,805; and Shane Peters, who came in third, had expenditures totaling $12,951.
Incumbent Council members Barbara Marshall and Romy Cachola also outspent their respective opponents to win re-election.
