The endorsement on Friday by Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa of Hawaii Independent Party gubernatorial candidate Mufi Hannemann was a high-profile “get.”

While he has plenty of baggage, one of Hannemann’s strengths is his record as Honolulu mayor. Love him or hate him, you can’t say he ducked controversial decisions — evicting homeless, building rail and unloading sewage into the Ala Wai Canal, for example.

Hannemann wants to remind voters that he is a strong manager, a description not widely applied to to Gov. Neil Abercrombie. So, having a county mayor back an independent candidate means something.

“I know in my heart of hearts that Mufi Hannemann is the best administrator,” Arakawa said Friday. “He is very trustworthy and can be depended upon to do what he says he is going to do. We are at a time in history where the State of Hawaii has a dire need to be able to upgrade many things within its system.

Mufi Hannemann, Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa and Les Chang at SHOPO headquarters in Kalihi. June 13.

Mufi 4 Gov 2014

Hannemann said that, if elected governor, one of his goals is to establish a Hawaii Council of Leaders made up of the governor and the four county mayors — something he said he “pioneered” when he formed the Hawaii Council of Mayors in 2005 when he was first elected mayor of Honolulu.

The council continues its work today.

“The Hawaii Council of Mayors is proof positive that when all four county chiefs are working together, four heads are better than one. With the proposed HCL, the mantra will be five heads — with the governor included — will also be better than one,” Hannemann said in a press release.