The candidates for Hawaii governor finished the race for campaign donations in the same order as they finished the election: David Ige raised the most cash, followed by Duke Aiona, Mufi Hannemann and Jeff Davis.
Ige, the Democrat who is the governor-elect, raised about $2.2 million, when you factor in his late contributions as of Monday. For a guy that was heavily out-raised and outspent during the primary election — Gov. Neil Abercrombie had a roughly 10-to-1 advantage but still lost — Ige showed some fundraising chops in the general election.
Indeed, his contributors include the very kinds of people that gave so generously to Abercombie, including lobbyists John Radcliffe and Red Morris, contractor Dennis Mitsunaga, developer Duncan McNaughton, Roberts Hawaii executive Robert Iwamoto Jr., Hawaiian Electric executive Constance Lau and UH administrator Amy Agbayani. Lots of union money came his way, too.
Oddly, Ige also received money from the Marijuana Policy Project PAC out of Washington, D.C., which supports state and federal candidates who support legalizing medical marijuana. Maybe it didn’t know that Ige said he has never smoked pot and doesn’t want it legalized.
Duke Aiona, Jeff Davis, Mufi Hannemann and David Ige, Aug. 26 at UH West Oahu.
PF Bentley/Civil Beat
Aiona, the Republican, finished with about $1.4 million, which includes his late contributions. Recent donors included investor and former politican Quentin Kawananakoa, New Hope Oahu pastor Wayne Cordeiro and Turtle Bay Resort.
Hannemann, the Hawaii Independent Party candidate, pulled in about $350,000, also including late contributions. Last-minute donations came from the likes of Outrigger Hotels & Resorts president David Carey and Hawaii Teamsters Local 996.
Davis, the Libertarian, reported no late contributions and raised just $5,500.
Combined, the money raised for the four general election candidates is less than the more than $5 million raised by Abercrombie.
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About the Author
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Chad Blair is the politics editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on X at @chadblairCB.