Incumbents, notables have upper hand in fundraising
Roz Baker
Terez Amato
Roz Baker
Terez Amato
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Incumbents and well-known candidates for state Legislature and Maui County Council seats raised and spent more, for the most part, than their opponents in Aug. 11 primary election contests.
Thursday was the deadline for candidates to submit reports to the state Campaign Spending Commission for the period of Jan. 1 to June 30. However, candidates who have not raised or spent $1,000 won't need to file reports until Dec. 6. Also, reports were not due for candidates in uncontested primary races.
In her campaign to maintain her 6th Senate District seat, West and South Maui Sen. Roz Baker added $50,922.57 during the reporting period to what she had to start with, $131,171.21, giving her a total of $182,093.78.
Of that, she expended $33,895.47 during the year's first six months, leaving her with cash on hand of $148,198.31. Her campaign reports $11,468.74 in unpaid amounts for professional services. Her campaign surplus is $136,729.57.
Baker's opponent in the Aug. 11 Democratic primary, Terez Amato, reported total receipts of $14,239.95 during the reporting period. That amount was reduced by a pre-reporting period deficit of $388.66, leaving Amato with income of $13,851.29.
Amato's total expenditures amounted to $2,985.65, and she was left with cash on hand of $10,865.64.
Green Party member Melissah Shishido is uncontested in her party primary and advances automatically to the 6th Senate general election.
In the five-way, all-Democrat contest for the 8th House District (Wailuku, Waikapu, Waiehu, Puuohala, Kahakuloa and Waihee), appointee Troy Hashimoto reported taking in $31,388.96 and spending $12,666.60, leaving him with $18,722.36.
Former Maui County Council Member Dain Kane had cash on hand of $46,987.64 at the beginning of the reporting period and added $15,232 in total receipts, giving him a total amount available of $62,219.64. He reported total expenditures of $31,722.68, leaving him with cash on hand of $30,496.96.
Maui County information-technology manager Mary Wagner disclosed total receipts of $6,135 and expenditures of $2,985.22, leaving her with a surplus of $3,149.78.
Teacher Justin Hughey took in $5,411.93 but had that amount reduced by a pre-reporting period deficit of $193.41. He reported total expenditures of $3,301.28, but with loans of $3,609.16, he ended up with a cash deficit of $1,691.92.
In the race for the 9th House District (Kahului, Puunene, Old Sand Hills and Maui Lani), incumbent Democrat Justin Woodson reported cash on hand and total receipts of $57,146.56. He spent $17,840.68, and he still has $39,305.88 in his campaign coffers.
His primary opponent, Kauanoe Batangan, took in $15,037.91 and spent $10,898.64. He reported a surplus of $4,139.27. He has a $2,000 loan, leaving him with a cash surplus of $2,139.27.
There was no campaign spending report for nonpartisan candidate Andrew Kayes.
In the South Maui House District 11 race, former Council Member Don Couch reported adding $16,340 to his pre-reporting period cash on hand of $5,225.19, giving him a subtotal of $21,565.19. Of that, he spent $11,996.69, leaving him with $9,568.50.
But Couch's total was short of the $27,432.48 in pre-reporting cash and total receipts reported by Tina Wildberger. She expended $7,094.65 and was left with $20,337.83.
There was no report from Democrat Ollie Myrick, Nonpartisan candidate Daniel Kanahele reported taking in and spending $25.
In the contest for the 12th House District seat (Upcountry, Spreckelsville and parts of Kahului), incumbent Democrat Kyle Yamashita reported having $59,865.19 on hand at the beginning of the reporting period and adding $32,233.53 to that, giving him a total of $92,098.72 in available funds.
Of that, he expended $21,564.86 and was left with a surplus of $70,533.86.
His challenger in the all-Democratic race, Tiare Lawrence, reported having $1,346.99 at the beginning of the reporting period and adding $16,290.62, giving her a total of $17,637.61. She reported spending $9,588.84, leaving her a surplus of $8,048.77.
In Maui County Council races, Mayor Alan Arakawa reported beginning the reporting period with $81,523.14 and taking in $44,176.25, giving him a total of $125,699.39.
Of that amount, he spent $67,564.48 and had $58,134.91 remaining.
Of his opponents in the race for the Kahului residency seat, Natalie "Tasha" Kama reported taking in $4,020 in campaign contributions and spending $2,517.93. She was left with $1,502.07. There was no record for Debra Kaiwi.
In the Makawao-Haiku-Paia council race, former Council Member Mike Molina reported adding $2,300 to his pre-reporting period amount of $5,703.27, giving him a total amount available of $8,003.27. He reported spending $2,854.65, leaving him with a surplus of $5,148.62.
Another candidate in the Makawao council race, Trinette Furtado, added total receipts of $3,601.16 to $52.67 that she had remaining from her previous run for the council seat. Of her $3,653.83 total, she spent $464.31 and was left with $3,189.52. But, because of a $7,900 loan, she reported a deficit of $4,710.48.
There was no report for candidate Adam Borowiec.
In the West Maui council race, former mayoral candidate and Maui County lifeguard Tamara Paltin disclosed having $5,774.43 remaining from her previous campaign. And, she added $10,091.40 for a total amount available of $15,865.83.
Of that, she spent $9,276.09, giving her a remaining surplus of $6,589.74.
West Maui council candidate Frederick Nava had a deficit of $387.91 from a previous campaign, and he took in $2,000, giving him an amount available of $1,612.09. He reported spending nothing.
But, with a loan of $3,197.12, he had a deficit of $1,585.03.
Candidate Kanamu Balinbin had $1,383.16 remaining from a previous campaign and raised another $1,050, giving him a total of $2,433.16. Of that, he spent $1,349.11, leaving him with cash on hand of $1,084.05. However, he reported a $1,359.70 loan that left him with a $275.65 deficit.
In the Molokai council race, incumbent Council Member Stacy Crivello reported adding $8,550 to the $2,891.39 she had remaining from the 2016 campaign. Of her total of $11,441.39, she reported spending $6,665.77, leaving her with a surplus of $4,775.62.
Challenger Keani Rawlins-Fernandez disclosed having $3,439.88 from the 2016 campaign and having total receipts from the first half of this year of $11,970.75. That gave her a total of $15,410.63. She spent $5,474.13, leaving her with cash on hand of $9,936.50.
But, with a $837.66 loan, that amount was reduced to a surplus of $9,098.84.
The other challenger in the Molokai council race, Cora Caparida-Schnackenberg, reported total receipts of $2,632.99 and expenditures of $2,037.43, giving her cash on hand of $595.56. However, she had debts of $1,373.58 that left her with a $778.02 deficit.
* Brian Perry can be reached at bperry@mauinews.com.