The race is officially on.

Again.

Mufi Hannemann made the long-expected announcement yesterday that he will skip his final two years as Honolulu mayor to run for governor.

“;My intention is to serve a full four-year term,”; Hannemann said. “;I want to be governor—that's the only thing on my radar screen, and my desire to serve the public is to be the governor of Hawaii.”;

He wasted no time in trying to separate himself from his main opponent in the Democratic primary, former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, in a rematch of a special election campaign for Congress in 1986.

“;Neil has legislative experience. He does not have executive experience,”; Hannemann said. “;Neil has been a citizen of the Beltway for 20 years. He's more familiar with Washington, D.C., than what happens at Washington Place (the governor's residence), so in many ways he is out of touch, out of step and out of place.”;

  Mufi Hannemann Announces Run For Governor

 

Mayor Mufi Hannemann officially announced he is running for governor.

 

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  Hannemann Announcement Creates Domino Effect

 

Mufi Hannemann's announcement to run for governor is creating a domino effect.

 

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Abercrombie responded by seizing on Hannemann's declaration that if elected the governorship would not be his last job,

“;I see the office as a cornerstone. The mayor sees it as a steppingstone,”; Abercrombie said. “;The mayor sees politics entirely through the prism of his political career.

“;He said today while he was running he's been listening to people and they want him. And all I can tell you is I've been listening to people and they want change.”;

Hannemann will have to resign as mayor before filing for the governor's race, but he has until a July 20 deadline to do so. He said he plans to remain on the job until then.

Matters he hopes to resolve before resigning are working with federal authorities to complete the final environmental impact statement on the city's rail project, finalizing the city's $1.8 billion operating budget and completing the two-day-a-month furlough schedule for city employees.

Abercrombie called it politics as usual from Hannemann, saying he believes the mayor should resign now rather than exploit a loophole that lets him hold one office while campaigning for another.

“;Will all the decisions he's going to be making now—between now and July—have to do with being mayor, or is he going to have his eye on the governor's race?”; Abercrombie said. “;You mean to tell me he can say, 'I'm running for governor as of today—except not really—and all the decisions I make right now, don't worry, it won't have anything to do with how they might affect me in the governor's race'?

“;You're asking people for an awful lot of suspension of disbelief to have that happen.”;

Hannemann countered that Abercrombie was putting personal ambition ahead of the people's business by resigning from Congress, giving up valuable seniority and prompting a special election that cost taxpayers about $1 million.

“;When I resign, the timing will be such that a primary and a special election can be held on the same day and that the transition is such that there will be no vacancy—no void of leadership—where decisions can't be made, as what happened in the 1st Congressional (District),”; he said.

Hannemann added that he can advance the rail project more as governor by working collaboratively with the county mayors as he has done in recent years.

Both candidates say they will run positive campaigns. The 1986 race became known for its bitterness, Abercrombie winning in the special election but losing the primary to Hannemann, who then lost to Republican Pat Saiki in the general election.

Hannemann heads into this primary with a significant advantage in money: $2 million in cash on hand, compared with $770,000 for Abercrombie.

On the Republican side, Lt. Gov. James “;Duke”; Aiona and former state Sen. John Carroll have said they will run for governor.

Aiona issued a statement saying Hawaii “;can't afford”; Hannemann.

“;I look forward to putting my support for Hawaii's working families and small businesses against his record of raising taxes and increasing the cost of living for our residents on Oahu,”; Aiona said.

Hannemann said the state cannot afford four more years of the status quo from the Republicans.

“;Duke has been a silent partner,”; he said. “;You can't come across as a breath of fresh air when this is the team that brought us Furlough Fridays. This is the team that derailed the Superferry. ... You can't have it both ways.”;