State Sen. David Ige said Wednesday that he is disappointed he will not get a speaking role at the state Democratic convention in May while Gov. Neil Abercrombie will be able to address the delegates.
Convention planners have decided that only the party’s top eight elected officials — including Abercrombie — will get to speak about progress on the party’s platform during the two-day event at the Sheraton Waikiki. Candidates will be given a separate opportunity to appear at an evening meet-and-greet at the Royal Hawaiian’s Coconut Grove.
The party made the decision because the convention has been shortened to two days, down from 21⁄2 days, and convention planners worried that letting all candidates speak could crowd out other convention business.
Ige, who is challenging Abercrombie in the primary election, and some party activists consider the decision a mistake.
"Our campaign is getting stronger every single day," Ige said. "I can see why the governor is afraid to have me address the convention. So I’m disappointed. I think that the members of the party want to hear from the candidates.
"It’s unfortunate that the party has decided to limit who the convention members will be able to hear from."
Ige’s campaign advisers are scheduled to meet Thursday morning at party headquarters with Reena Rabago, the convention’s co-chairwoman, and Sarah Beamer, the party’s executive director, to discuss concerns about the convention.
Rabago is an aide to Blake Oshiro, Abercrombie’s deputy chief of staff, but she and others in the party insist Abercrombie had nothing to do with convention planning and that it was not their intention to stifle Ige.
"Look how many candidates we’ve got," said Dante Carpenter, the party chairman. "If you gave everybody five minutes, you would not be able to accomplish any business, which is the whole purpose."
Carpenter delivered a letter to Abercrombie’s office Wednesday afternoon explaining that the governor could give a report on progress toward the platform at the convention. The other elected officials who will be given five minutes each to address delegates are Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, U.S. Rep Colleen Hanabusa, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Senate President Donna Mercado Kim and House Speaker Joseph Souki.
William Kaneko, Abercrombie’s campaign manager, said the convention format and program were developed by party officials.
"Our understanding is that all candidates, including those for governor, will be provided an opportunity to address delegates during the convention at a candidate forum," he said in a statement.
The party has often struggled to referee disputes over candidate access to state conventions. But the party has typically allowed the main candidates for governor to address delegates.
Abercrombie and former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann spoke in 2010; former state Sen. Randall Iwase and then-Waianae harbor master William Aila Jr. spoke in 2006; and Hirono, then-state Rep. Ed Case and D.G. "Andy" Anderson spoke in 2002.
