Republicans cry foul

Election filings: Deadline squeezed democrat

State Republicans are complaining that a City Hall worker running for the state House in Manoa did not meet the required filing deadline.

Republicans said Chrystn Eads, an executive assistant to Mayor Mufi Hannemann, a staunch Democrat, failed to filed her campaign nomination papers by the 4:30 p.m. Tuesday deadline.

"In fairness to all candidates who followed the rules for filing papers, I urge the state and city election officers to do the right thing by disqualifying any candidate who is not qualified," said Jerilyn Jeffryes, a GOP candidate also running for the Manoa House district.

Willes Lee, state GOP chairman, said during a news conference yesterday at the GOP headquarters that the party considers Jeffryes the only properly filed candidate in the 24th District. Lee said he originally considered filing a protest but then heard that former Councilman Duke Bainum was also considering a challenge, and said he would leave any formal protest up to the former city councilman.

Democratic Party Chairman Brian Schatz argues that Eads was properly registered because she was attempting to file when delays caused by election officials caused her to miss the deadline.

"We look for the process to sort itself out, and we feel Chrystn will succeed," Schatz said. "She was there 40 minutes before the deadline, and the delay was caused because of the slow processing."

The state allows 30 days to file a challenge to a candidate for public office.

The battle over Eads' candidacy came as fallout from City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi's 11th-hour filing on Tuesday to run for mayor against Hannemann. The surprise move opened up her Council seat, paving the way for Bainum and state Rep. Kirk Caldwell to file to run for her seat.

For about 24 hours, Caldwell had nomination papers filed for both the Council and his House re-election. But Caldwell ended the confusion yesterday afternoon by formally withdrawing from the Manoa House race, clearing the way for him to proceed as a candidate for the City Council against Bainum.

Hannemann, who beat Bainum in the 2004 mayoral race, said last night that his goal is to win the mayoral race by getting more than 50 percent of the vote in the Sept. 20 primary election.

"I'm expecting a very spirited race," he said. "I respect all nine candidates that are there. I treat them all the same."

Hannemann said Councilmember Kobayashi's entry into the race has not changed his campaign strategy.

"Our strategy has been sound from the very beginning," he said. "The best thing you can do is manage the city well. ... The city is in a lot better shape than it was 3 1/2 years ago."

He said he encouraged Caldwell to run for Kobayashi's vacated seat after hearing of her plans to run for mayor, because he would be a "breath of fresh air" on the Council.

"He brings tons of experience, and he's helped the city in so many ways since he's been in the Legislature," he said. "He gave up a safe (House) seat to run for City Council."

Eva Larson, a Kailua resident attending a birthday party for Hannemann at the Neil Blaisdell Center yesterday, said she likes Kobayashi but supports Hannemann's plans for mass transit and believes Hannemann will win in the primary.

"If she waited four more years, she might have a chance," she said. "Right now, no."

CORRECTION Wednesday, August 6, 2008 The race for Manoa's state House seat is not a nonpartisan race. Originally, this article incorrectly said it was.