The Empire Strikes Back: Big Money Hits Makawao-Haiku-Paia Council Race

Maui’s Election Year 2022 may be remembered as the year that birthed a new political movement: Anybody But Progressives (ABP). Its supporters are dedicated to ensuring that Maui progressives lose every seat possible at the adults’ table. In the past few years, establishment power brokers have watched in horror as the council slowly shifted to a progressive majority. And, after a year of hotel moratoriums, stalled housing projects, hostility toward the hospitality industry, and fewer short-term housing rentals, they’ve apparently had enough.

I thought it was just leftover loyalty to Mayor Michael Victorino that he and challenger Richard Bissen had the same names showing up on contributor lists. But it’s gone beyond that. Case in point: The Maui County Council race to replace Michael Molina (who is making a mayoral run) in the Makawao-Haiku-Paia residency seat. It’s currently a five-way contest among Aram Armstrong, Nara Boone, Dave DeLeon, Daniel Smith and Nohe U’u-Hodgins.

The Maui News is doing a great job of interviewing council candidates and you can read more about this particular group in Sarah Ruppenthal’s story here.

Me? I’m here to talk about the money.

Big League Funding

Traditionally, the big money sits back and watches things shake out a bit, especially when like-minded candidates are running against each other in primary contests. In the Makawao-Haiku-Paia council district, those candidates are DeLeon and U’u-Hodgins. But in 2022, nobody appears willing to wait.

In the latest campaign fund-reporting period that ended June 30, DeLeon showed $17,764 in campaign contributions. That’s respectable for a council race. First-time candidate U’u-Hodgins is another matter altogether. She’s pulled in an incredible $63,137, vaulting her into first place in election 2022 fundraising for all county council incumbents and challengers thus far. You can find candidates’ disclosure records here.

New face; old money

It’s invigorating to see new, young participants in Maui’s political arena.  In the case of U’u-Hodgins, a permit facilitator for a Wailuku real estate company, this new face is being backed by lots of old money. U’u-Hodgins is the daughter of Bruce U’u, longtime Maui field rep for the influential Hawaii Carpenters Union. He is insanely well-connected and a perennial power behind the throne in Maui politics.

Nohe U’u-Hodgins’ list of contributors represents a Who’s Who of the Maui development and construction community, with the Maui old boy political network and Honolulu-based donors thrown in as well.

For four-year terms such as the mayor’s, campaign contributions are capped at $4,000. For two-year terms—like the County Council—the contribution limit falls to $2,000. Almost $30,000, or 48% of U’u-Hodgins’ total contributions (as of June 30) came from $2,000 donations (plus one from Maui developer Everett Dowling for $1,995). Among the $2,000 donors: Developer Peter Martin (via HOPE Builders,) David Ward (U’u-Hodgins’ campaign treasurer and her boss at F&W Land), Larry Ellison’s Lanai Resorts, Benchmark Hospitality of Hawaii, $8,000 from four members of the Goodfellow family, and $4,000 from two members from the Honolulu-based Fergus & Co. commercial real estate firm. Land use and litigation attorney Calvert Chipchase of the Cades Schutte law firm in Honolulu gave $2,000, and two other firm members donated $1,000 more.

Donor derby

Mahi Pono’s Shan Tsutsui threw in $1,000 ($750 more than he gave Victorino). So did the Plumbers & Pipefitters Political Action Committee. Additional $1,000 donations came from folks at West Maui Land, Pacific Rim Land, Maui Lani Partners, IIWU Local 142, and F&H Construction from Lodi, California.

Donations of $150-$500 came in from current and former politicos: former Makawao-Haiku-Paia seat holder Mike White, current state reps Kyle Yamashita and Troy Hashimoto, former Maui Public Works Dept. director David Goode, and Victorino Chief of Staff Tyson Miyaki. Other small donations were made by A&B Maui VP Carol Reimann, Maui Airport District Manager Marvin Moniz, Imua Builders, the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association, and the general manager of Maui Electric.

Though it’s fairly standard among county council candidates to draw donations from the entire island and beyond, I guess it’s naïve and idealistic of me to think that a lot of them would come from the actual area the candidate wants to represent. Out of 77 individual contributions of more than $100 to U’u-Hodgins, only 16 came from addresses in the Makawao-Haiku-Paia area. And as far as smaller donors are concerned, the contributions she received of $100 or less ($2,459) represented 3% of the total money raised.

DeLeon: Similar donors, less money

DeLeon has a similar story, just with less money. Although the most politically experienced candidate of the five (he worked for former Maui mayors Linda Lingle and Alan Arakawa), he’s trailing U’u-Hodgins financially. Still, the two share several donors in common. Peter Martin gave him $2,000; so did Everett Dowling. Among $1,000 donations were ones from Lingle and the LedCor Development office in San Diego (plus a smaller amount from its local manager David Goode, another double donor).

DeLeon also received smaller donations from the Resort Owners Coalition political action committee, and from now-retired Maui politico Don Couch.

Of DeLeon’s 26 individual donations above $100, only seven totaling $3,653 came from addresses in the district he wants to represent.  He also collected $1,130 in donations of $100 or less, 6% of the total he raised.

The rest: Few donors, scarce money

How do challengers Armstrong, Boone and Smith hope to compete? Armstrong has raised $262, Smith $300 and Boone, $2,816 ($2,000 of that from progressive activists Michael Williams and Linda Love, who live in Kula, $816 in donations under $100). Boone also is part of the “‘Ohana Coalition” slate of progressive-group-endorsed candidates currently featured on cards, in ads and on social media. While underdogs have come from behind to win council races–Alika Atay’s win over the heavily-funded Keith Regan in the 2016 primary comes to mind–Atay had far more money raised by this point than these three.

If DeLeon and U’u-Hodgins end up facing off in the general election after the August 13 primary, their contributors will most likely consider their money well spent. Regardless of who succeeds, Anybody But Progressives will notch a win.