Mainland super PACs tied to the Republican Governors Association and the Democratic Governors Association will rival the top two candidates for governor in spending on Hawaii, bankrolling negative advertisements so the candidates are free to concentrate on more positive themes.
The American Comeback Committee, a super PAC linked to the Republican Governors Association, has raised more than $1.8 million, according to state campaign-finance reports. The super PAC has slammed state Sen. David Ige, the Democratic candidate for governor, on taxes and the state’s troubled health insurance exchange.
Hawaii Forward, a super PAC financed by the Democratic Governors Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, has raised more than $1.5 million. The super PAC has hit former Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, the Republican, for his opposition to abortion rights and has tried to pair him with conservative Republicans nationally who are unpopular in Hawaii.
The NEA Advocacy Fund, a super PAC underwritten by the National Education Association, has raised more than $299,225 for ads that attack Aiona on teacher furloughs during the Lingle administration.
By law, super PACs can engage only in independent spending that is not coordinated with candidates. But the super PACs have done polling and opposition research that help frame the campaigns and, more critically, have used negative ads as tools to try to weaken Ige and Aiona.
Super PACs and other independent groups are able to spend unlimited amounts of money on politics, a result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in 2010. While negative ads have always been a staple of political campaigns, the court ruling has given interest groups, corporations and labor unions a broader ability to influence voters.
"It’s sad," said John Hart, a Hawaii Pacific University communication professor. "I think it’s an accountability question and it’s a transparency question. But until this area of political campaign-finance law gets resolved, we’re going to deal with it.
"And at the end of the day, as much as voters say they don’t like negative advertising, all the research shows that it works," Hart said.
Mainland money could potentially have a greater impact on the governor’s race this year because the candidates do not have particularly large war chests. Gov. Neil Abercrombie spent $5.5 million in his historic loss to Ige in the Democratic primary, but none of the contenders will come close to that figure in November.
Ige has raised $1.9 million overall, with $1.2 million coming since the primary, his latest campaign-finance report shows. The state senator voluntarily agreed to abide by the $1.5 million spending limit in the general election to qualify for state matching funds, the first top candidate for governor to do so since Linda Lingle, a Republican, in 1998.
He has applied for some of the $160,000 in eligible matching funds.
Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui, Ige’s running mate, has raised $1.1 million overall and more than $221,150 since the primary, according to his campaign-finance report.
The super PACs acting independently on Ige’s behalf have been financed in part by labor unions that have endorsed him.
AFSCME, the parent union of the Hawaii Government Employees Association and United Public Workers, has given $500,000 to Hawaii Forward. The NEA, which sponsored the ad critical of Aiona on teacher furloughs, is the parent union of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, one of Ige’s earliest backers.
Aiona has raised $1.3 million overall, $728,700 since the primary, his campaign-finance report shows. Elwin Ahu, a former judge and a senior pastor at New Hope Metro who is Aiona’s running mate, has raised more than $286,250.
The latest campaign-finance report for former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, the Hawaii Independent Party candidate, was not available by press time Monday evening. The former mayor also voluntarily agreed to honor the $1.5 million spending limit, but his campaign has not met the threshold to apply for matching funds.
Lester Chang, a former city parks director who is Hannemann’s running mate, has raised more than $11,350.
