Voters see too much
negativity in race
A majority of likely voters say the candidates for Honolulu mayor are spending too much time on negative campaigning, according to a Honolulu Star-Bulletin/KITV4 News poll.
More than two-thirds of those polled said Duke Bainum and Mufi Hannemann are painting each other in a negative light too often.
Both candidates have taken a negative spin on each other's positions on issues and background in their race. But both sides have promised a more gentle finish to their campaigns.
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"I think the people of Hawaii don't want negative campaigning," Bainum said. "It's not the island way."
Three-quarters of respondents also said negative campaigns do not give them enough information to make an informed decision.
"They don't feel well served by (negative campaigning). It's not giving them the kind of information that they want or believe that they need," Hannemann spokeswoman Elisa Yadao said.
Bainum said voters will receive messages from his campaign during the next few days that are positive, take the "high road" and focus on solving problems.
"I am talking about focusing on issues, solutions ... and bring people together," Bainum said. "Negative campaigning does nothing. It's divisive and drives wedges in our community."
The Hannemann campaign also does not plan to go negative in the coming days.
"We worked really hard over the last several days keeping our campaign and our people focused on what is important and what matters," Yadao said. "We're going to stay on point."
