A group of Manoa residents called yesterday for voters to cast a blank vote for City Council candidate Duke Bainum.

 

  Some Manoa Residents Say “;Vote Blank”; 

 

  Duke Bainum is running opposed for state legislator but some Manoa residents encourage others to vote blank, to prevent Bainum from winning. 

 

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  They said they are angry that last-minute maneuvering led to Bainum running unopposed to replace Ann Kobayashi, who is running for mayor.

The group, calling itself Voice for Choice, said in a hurriedly planned news conference that it is opposed not to Bainum, but to election laws that made the situation possible.

“;We're making a protest vote,”; said Jeff Zimmerman, a Manoa resident. “;We're disappointed in the (state) Office of Elections. Their actions had left our community without a voice.”;

The group acknowledged that its protest likely will have no impact in the general election Nov. 4, when Bainum needs only one vote to win the City Council seat. Zimmerman said he would like to see the state elections laws re-examined, perhaps to include a longer district residency requirement.

On July 22, the filing deadline, Bainum flew to Hawaii from California and rented an apartment in Kobayashi's district.

A suspected deal between Bainum and Kobayashi has drawn criticism from Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who first publicly raised the issue during a televised debate Sept. 9, a week before the primary election, questioning Kobayashi's character.

Kobayashi filed papers as a candidate the morning of the last day possible, setting off a frenzy to fill her Council seat. When the dust settled, 11th-hour candidate state Rep. Kirk Caldwell, a Hannemann ally, was disqualified, leaving only Bainum, a former councilman, in the race.

Bainum lost in a contentious mayoral race to Hannemann in 2004 and has been airing TV ads despite having no opposition.

“;I was very open about what I did,”; Kobayashi said last week. “;What kind of deal could be struck where I give up an uncontested seat to run against an incumbent with $3 million? I just can never understand that rationale.”;

Bainum said, “;There were no promises made and no promises implied. A lie not responded to becomes the truth. I'm not making that mistake again. I'm not running against Mayor Hannemann. I'm not sure why he's focusing on this.”;

Hannemann fell short of victory in the primary, giving the two candidates about five more weeks until the general election to revisit the controversy.

Hannemann's remarks during the debate prompted Bainum to send a letter to supporters last week asking them to vote for anyone but Hannemann. In the letter, Bainum said that he was in California with his son, who was undergoing surgery, and flew back to Hawaii after hearing that Kobayashi was considering running for mayor.

In a recent interview, Bainum said he began looking for a place in Kobayashi's district while he was in California.

“;The bottom line is, on the day of the filing, I was a resident of the district,”; Bainum said. “;The focus should be, Did I meet the obligation of the law? Yes, I did. I'm moving forward. I've been very upfront.”;