While Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann says he is not yet an official candidate for governor, he is in the middle of a campaign swing through the state.

On Monday he held a Hilo rally that was combined with a pitch for the Hawaii Island Food Bank that according to Big Island newspaper reports drew 400.

Tomorrow, Hannemann will be at Maui's Velma McWayne Santos Community Center in Wailuku. He will be cooking up steaks and hot dogs and offering door prizes for a $10 contribution.

Additional are planned rallies next month on Oahu and Kauai, the Hannemann campaign Web site says.

What is going on? The Hannemann campaign declines to say.

According to state law, someone who collects money for a political campaign must register with the state Campaign Spending Commission, so Hannemann, who has raised more than $2 million to run for governor, is listed as running for governor.

State law requires candidates to resign from their existing political office if they are running for another seat, but Hannemann does not have to resign until he formally files with the state Office of Elections.

All this is frustrating to U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, who is running for governor and will resign his congressional seat at the end of this month to campaign full time.

“;Hannemann says he has an 'exploratory committee,' even though there's no such definition in Hawaii's law,”; complained Bill Kaneko, Abercrombie campaign manager. “;He says that the committee does all the work so he can focus on being mayor. He says this despite the fact that he is clearly campaigning for governor.”;

“;He's a candidate when it helps him, and not a candidate when it hurts him,”; Kaneko said in a written statement.

Hannemann's Web site boasts that he held a rally earlier this month with about 300 Filipino-American leaders urging him to run.

“;I want to start early with you; you were so helpful to me in 2004 and 2008,”; Hannemann said, according to his Web site. “;The Filipino vote has always made the difference in my elections.”;

Abercrombie also is going after the neighbor island vote.

On Monday he invited 300 female supporters to a campaign lunch at the Waialae Country Club, during which he said the neighbor island vote will be critical.

“;We are going to need every vote we can get on Oahu, I tell you now,”; Abercrombie said. “;We are going to do well—we are going to do the best we can on Oahu, but this campaign, this nomination for governor, is going to be won on the neighbor islands.”;

Both Hannemann and Abercrombie have seen past Democratic primaries for governor decided on the neighbor islands because the Oahu vote is likely to split or go to a Democratic outsider. The late Mayor Frank Fasi, for instance, was never able to capture the neighbor islands, although he remained popular on Oahu.

The winner of the Democratic primary is likely to face Lt. Gov. James “;Duke”; Aiona, the lone major Republican running for governor.