LIHUE — Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. holds a hefty sum of cash leading up to the 2014 election, according to the first round of campaign reports released Thursday.
His highest profile opponent, professional surfer and mixed martial arts fighter Dustin Barca, however, more than tripled the incumbent in campaign contributions over the last six-month period.
The reports show that Carvalho raised $13,800 between Jan. 1 and June 30. He spent $47,409 during that same timeframe and has a surplus of $158,483, most of which predates the New Year.
In his first run for public office, Barca managed to bring in $48,499. He spent $35,623 and has $12,876 cash on hand.
Carvalho’s largest contribution of $4,000 came from KZ DevCo LP, a California-based real estate development and investment company working on the new Longs Drugs in Kapaa. Donations of $2,000 were received from a California-based Operating Engineers Local Union No 3 and the Hawaii Laborers PAC.
“We are very pleased with the campaign so far and have much work yet to do before the primary to get the word out,” the mayor wrote Friday. “Our fundraising efforts have been steady and consistent over the past 18 months.”
His largest individual contributions included $1,000 from Louis E. Abrams, owner of Kauai King Shar-Pei Kennel, $850 from Lihue-based attorney Kurt Bosshard and $500 each from Koloa resident Monroe Richman and Larry G. Jefts of Kunia.
“Whatever resources we have, we feel we have a solid plan for delivering our message of teamwork, experience, accomplishment and vision throughout remainder of the campaign,” Carvalho wrote. “We hope to be fortunate to make it through to the general.”
Barca received a $4,000 contribution from Equinox gym co-founder and Hanalei resident Donato Errico, and another $4,000 from his wife, Vera. He also took large donations from a number of California residents, including $4,000 from Jess Bianchi, $2,000 each from Jesse Moya, Michael Schwab and Helen Schwab, and $1,000 from singer-songwriter Graham Nash, of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
California-based Generator Skateboard Distribution donated $4,000 in T-shirts, while Expressive Designs of Haleiwa donated $2,000 worth of stickers. Tamba Surf Co. of Kapaa donated $2,000 in prizes and Hanalei Surf Company gave $1,000 in prizes.
Winston Welborn, Kahealani Zietz, JoAnna Zietz, Justin Britt, Matt Beall, Karen Marie Bellavita — all of Hawaii Life Real Estate — combined for $5,300 in donations.
Barca said he is not one to ask for money outright, and that so far he hasn’t had to. Instead, he said people are coming to him and choosing to support his cause and vision for the future.
“The support from Kauai has been amazing. On top of that, we’re getting support from all around the world,” he said. “It’s just humbling and motivating.”
The two other candidates are Debralynn DeSilva Carveiro and Curtis Hendrix Lake.
While Carveiro failed to file a campaign report at all, Lake reported zeros across the board.
Carveiro said by phone that she was in the process of filing her report Friday, and that her understanding was there would not be a penalty for filing late because she did not receive more than $1,000 in campaign contributions.
“I’ve been so busy, I just forgot,” she said of Thursday’s deadline. She was the lone mayoral candidate to miss the Kauai Filipino Chamber of Commerce last week due to family matters.
Lake said the zeros throughout his report weren’t a mistake. He doesn’t have any money for his campaign, and doesn’t need or want any, he said. All he wants is to get his message across to the public.
“It doesn’t take any money to have the truth on your side,” he said.
