Kaua’i County Council Chair Ron Kouchi had raised over $265,000 through earlier this month for his mayoral campaign, and spent over $241,000, according to Campaign Spending Commission records. His amounts raised and spent far exceeded those of the three other
Kaua’i County Council Chair Ron Kouchi had raised over $265,000 through earlier this month for his mayoral campaign, and spent over $241,000, according to Campaign Spending Commission records.
His amounts raised and spent far exceeded those of the three other candidates for mayor.
Councilmember Bryan Baptiste raised over $191,000, and spent over $139,000, while Councilmember Randal Valenciano is the only candidate who voluntarily agreed to stay under the $61,950 expenditure limit for each election as set by the commission for the Kaua’i mayor’s race.
Valenciano had raised over $58,000, and spent over $37,000. Dennis Nimkie, an accountant in private practice and the fourth candidate, had raised just over $4,000, from loans he made to himself, and his campaign was running a deficit of over $4,000.
As of Friday, Sept. 6, Valenciano had cash on hand of just over $20,000, Kouchi had nearly $23,000, and Baptiste nearly $50,000.
All of the figures are from documents on file in the Kaua’i County Clerk’s Elections Division office. The documents list in detail the names of contributors to the candidates, as well as expenditures.
Most of Kouchi’s money, or nearly $225,000, came from those contributing over $100 each to his campaign, including $4,000 from Garden Isle Disposal, $3,000 each from his father Mits Kouchi and brother Scott Kouchi, and $2,000 each from his in-laws, Edith and Tsuyoshi Tanimoto.
Other large individual contributors to Kouchi’s campaign include Donald W. Schmanski, $4,000; school teacher Patience K. Cummings, $3,250; Guy Brannum, $2,800; Barry Arruda, $2,097.81; Linda Morishige, $2,000; Linda K. Estes, $1,550; Lynn McCrory, $1,200; and Jeffrey Lindner, $1,000.
Large corporate contributors to Kouchi included the Alexander & Baldwin Hawai’i political action committee, $4,000; Lawai Beach political action committee, $3,375; International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU Local 142), $2,250; Poipu Resort Partners, LP, $2,050; Taryn R. Schuman, CPA, Inc., $2,000; Painting Industry of Hawaii, $2,000; Kilohana political action committee, $1,900; 101, Inc., $1,750; Shioi Construction, $1,463.55; Marriott International, $1,450; Will Squyres Helicopter Service, $1,450; Tesoro political action committee, $1,100; and Koga Engineering, $1,000.
Baptiste received large individual contributions from Marc C. Baptiste, $2,500; Josephina Baptiste, $2,500 (a loan); Carol Mackey, $2,000; J. Beryl and Karen Clifford, $2,000; Patrick and Rhonda Lizama, $1,975; Bart and Laura Skrebec, $1,500; Mathew and Betty Chandler, $1,250; Jeffrey Lindner, $1,000; and Brad R. Nagano Trust for Takeko Nagano, $1,000.
Significant corporate contributions to Baptiste’s campaign have come from Hawaii Pacific Medical Referrals, $4,000; AB & Associates Insurance Services, $4,000; Garden Island Inn, $3,000; Lawai Beach political action committee, $2,575; Vision Properties, $2,000; King Auto Center, $1,500; C. Schmidt Construction, $1,430.10; Marriott VCI (Vacation Club International), $1,250; Heli USA Airways, Inc., $1,150; and A&B Hawaii political action committee, Poipu Resort Partners, LP, Aina Hou Development Corp., Jasper Properties LLC, and South Pacific Bistro, $1,000 each.
Valenciano’s largest single contribution came from the Campaign Spending Commission, $8,697, for his voluntarily staying under the commission’s suggested spending cap. His significant individual contribution was $1,000, from David Walters of Princeville. Valenciano also received $3,000 from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, $2,000 from the A&B Hawaii political action committee, and $1,820 from the Lawai Beach political action committee.
Where individual and corporate contributions are concerned, the cycle for the primary election ends tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 21, and state law allows contributors to again donate to favored candidates anew for the general election cycle, which runs from this Sunday, Sept. 22, through Tuesday, Nov. 5, the date of the general election.
Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
