WAIPOULI — In the face of some Democratic Party leaders, Republican Party members led by Gov. Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona Jr. and supporters were out in force here Sunday afternoon, buoyed by news that President George
WAIPOULI — In the face of some Democratic Party leaders, Republican Party members led by Gov. Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona Jr. and supporters were out in force here Sunday afternoon, buoyed by news that President George Bush is running neck-and-neck in Hawai‘i with Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry.
Lingle and Aiona flew in from Honolulu during a day-long, interisland campaign trip to stand side-by-side along Kuhio Highway in specific support of Republican legislative candidates Maryanne Kusaka and Mamo Cummings.
Kusaka, a former two-term mayor of Kaua‘i, is running against incumbent state Sen. Gary Hooser, a Democrat.
Cummings, a former president of the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce, is taking on incumbent state Rep. Mina Morita, a Democrat who represents the North Shore and northern precincts of East Kaua‘i.
About 75 supporters including Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste, East Kaua‘i-South Kaua‘i state House of Representatives candidate John Hoff, and West Kaua‘i House candidate Joanne Georgi joined the politicians in front of the Kaua‘i Village shopping center. A handful of John Kerry backers joined them, with Kaua‘i Democratic Party leader Martin Rice being treated cordially by the dozens of sign-holding Kusaka supporters surrounding him in sign-waving along the highway.
Lingle told The Garden Island that the campaigns being run by Cummings and Kusaka are among 15 races statewide that leaders of the Hawai‘i Republican Party have singled out for extra support.
She said Kusaka and Cummings are running in tight races against their Democratic opponents, but that both have a good chance of winning legislative seats at the general election tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Lingle needs just a few more seats in the state House of Representatives to be able to keep her vetoes of bills from being overridden by the Democratic majority.
“We feel very optimistic,” Lingle said of both a win in Hawai‘i for Bush, as well as victory in a number of legislative races.
“The momentum is on our side,” the governor said of the tight Bush-Kerry race in Hawai‘i.
She said news that Bush might win in Hawai‘i, which is considered a Democratic stronghold, as well as the visit this weekend of Vice President Dick Cheney, has energized Republicans in Hawai‘i in campaigning for local candidates as well as for the president.
Lingle said Hawai‘i is making national news because of the support Bush is finding in the islands, and said she was recently interviewed by Fox News for national broadcast.
Lingle said Bush has sensed that support for Hawai‘i would pay off this election year, and said she was the only governor invited to join him at the presidential debate held in Tempe, Ariz.
When asked if there are any concerns about a situation like the discord that occurred in Florida on election day 2000 occurring in Hawai‘i, Lingle said no special plans are in place with the Bush campaign in case Hawai‘i becomes the state that determines who wins the presidency on Tuesday night.
She said she expects to see a smoothly run election in Hawai‘i come tomorrow.
Chris Cook, editor, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 227) or mailto:ccook@pulitzer.net.
