In the last of this pre-primary series on campaign spending in the 2022 Maui County Council races, I’m looking at both the Upcountry and South Maui contests, as they share similarities. Each primary race has three candidates: one supported by progressives, one by what I’m calling the “Anybody But Progressives” (ABP) movement, and a third relatively unknown candidate who has raised little to no money at all. It seems a safe assumption that both races will easily shake out to matches between progressive and ABP candidates following the August 13 balloting.
I relied on data from candidate disclosure forms (Line 12) on the Hawaiian Campaign Spending Commission candidate filing website. To see the rest of my stories on the mayor and council primary races, they are linked here: mayoral, Makawao-Haiku-Paia, and Kahului.
South Maui
The South Maui residency district is up for grabs, given incumbent Kelly King’s move to the mayor’s race. Contractor Tom Cook has returned for a second run at the seat, after losing to King in 2020. In that last race, Cook spent $51,189 and lost to King by 8,649 votes. In addition, almost 12,000 voters left their choice blank for the South Maui seat, so I can see why Cook liked his chances for a repeat appearance.
He’s received solid financial support, with $34,431 in contributions as of the June 30 campaign reporting deadline. Let’s do some math. Of that total, $1,031 or 3%, came from donations of $100 or less. The remaining $33,400 came from 40 individual donors. Of that amount, $11,942 or 35% came from six donations.
They include some ABP campaign regulars and some new entities: developer Everett Dowling ($2,000), Larry Ellison’s Lanai Resorts ($2,000), ILWU Local 142 ($2,000), the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters ($2,000), Honolulu-based Ena Motoi LLC ($2,000) and Stable Road Capital ($1,942). The Goodfellow construction family is again well-represented, with three family members contributing $4,000. In the $500-$1,000 range are other familiar names, the Resort Owners’ Coalition ($500), Maui Lani Partners ($1,000) and some new ones, such as $1,000 from the AFL-CIO affiliated Hawaii Committee on Political Education.
First-time candidate Robin Knox has raised $13,375, $6,000 (44%) of it from three donors, Kelly King, Maui Tomorrow Foundation president Michael Williams, and Water Quality Consulting, the business Knox runs. She received an additional $6,000 in $1,000 donations from other ostensibly progressive-oriented individuals, whose names aren’t well-known but have shown up on other donor lists to progressive candidates. Of Knox’s total donations, 6% have come from individuals donating $100 or less.
Candidate Dennis O’Shea reported no money raised at all.
Upcountry
Kudos to Jordan Hocker and Renee Cruz, who have thrown their hats in the Kula-Pukalani residency ring dominated since 2016 by Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura. Incumbent Sugimura is the poster child for the Anybody But Progressives movement and is considered such a formidable presence that she didn’t even have a challenger in the 2020 race. She entered this election season with some $59,000 left over from past races, and a newly-raised $41,024 so far in the 2020 election.
Just like Nohe U’u-Hodgins in the Makawao-Haiku-Paia race, it’s an ABP lovefest.
Unions? Check. The Plumbers & Pipefitters ($2,000), IBEW Local 1186 ($2,000), Hawaii Laborers’ ($2,000), and IIWU Local 142 ($2,000).
Developers and Builders? You bet. Everett Dowling ($1,000), Peter Martin via HOPE Builders ($2,000) and Shay and Chad Goodfellow ($2,000).
Resort/hospitality interests? That would be Larry Ellison’s Lanai Resorts ($1,000), the Resort Owners Coalition ($2,000), and the Maui Tropical Plantation’s operating company ($2,000).
Politicians? Of course. State Sen. Roz Baker ($1,000), former council member Mike White ($250), and even $200 from Mayor Michael Victorino’s wife Joycelyn.
Sugimura received $9,345 in donations of $100 or less, 23% of her total.
Political newcomer Jordan Hocker, 33, is getting lots of positive chatter in progressive circles, but not much has translated into donations. As of June 30, she had raised $2,412: $1,000 of that from Lloyd’s Acupuncture in Seattle and $1,412, or 58% of her total, from contributions of $100 or less. She also is the Upcountry candidate endorsed by progressive groups on the “’Ohana Coalition” slate being promoted in ads, banners, and on social media.
Challenger Renee Cruz has raised $100.
If Hocker and Sugimura face off in the general election, it will be a David v. Goliath battle. Hocker’s going to need a big slingshot.
