LIHUE — While some Kauai candidates are swimming in Benjamins, others are seeing red this campaign season. Candidates with the most donations include County Council contender Gary Hooser; Lisa Arin, who is running for prosecuting attorney; and Derek Kawakami, who
LIHUE — While some Kauai candidates are swimming in Benjamins, others are seeing red this campaign season.
Candidates with the most donations include County Council contender Gary Hooser; Lisa Arin, who is running for prosecuting attorney; and Derek Kawakami, who will leave his seat as representative of District 14 to run for County Council.
While Arin may have received a lot of contributions, the group Friends of Lisa Arin is sitting at a deficit of just over $2,000, according to figures from the campaign spending commission.
Her campaign has raised a total of $17,316.55 in donations this election cycle, which is from July 2015 to June 30, 2016.
During this reporting period (January to June 30), monetary and non-monetary contributions of more than $100 from individuals and non-candidate committees or entities made up a total of $8,064.51. Arin received $3,331.59 in contributions of $100 or less.
One donor, defense attorney and former prosecutor Melinda Mendes, has donated seven times, adding fuel to a rumor that she will be Arin’s first deputy if elected as Kauai prosecutor, according to sources.
Arin has received a total of $1,579.07 from her immediate family, which includes herself.
Friends of Lisa Arin pulled out loans last year, which totaled $6,442 and is still owed at the end of this reporting period, according to figures from the campaign spending commission.
Her campaign began with $2,762.96 cash on hand after carrying over a deficit of $3,679.07 from the previous reporting period, which ended in December. The candidate has spent a total of $11,303.97 this reporting period and sits on a total of $4,436.50 cash on hand.
Meanwhile, Friends of Justin Kollar, the incumbent, has raised nearly $10,825.53 as of June 30. His campaign sits on a surplus of $4,812.21 after having spent a little more than $6,000.
The candidate’s campaign began the reporting period with a little more than $5,000 cash on hand.
County Council
Friends of Gary Hooser has received $42,460 in campaign donations and has spent $32, 352.46 as of June 30, according to figures.
The campaign began this reporting period with $697.31 cash on hand and leaves with a surplus of $17,762.78.
Top donors include Bridget Hammerquist, Bill Kreutzmann, Rosalie Danbury and Anne Earhart. Danbury and Kreutzmann each have donated $2,000, Hammerquist nearly $1,000 and Earhart $1,000.
Hooser’s campaign spent a little more than $10,000 on a mail-out survey, and about $11,000 on advertising, including nearly $3,000 on Facebook ads.
Friends of Derek Kawakami has raised a total of $12,935 in campaign contributions. Kawakami began the reporting period with a total of $31,925.28 and ends the period with $17,890.07. His campaign spent a total of $13,508.71 in six months.
He has received donations from several organizations including Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, Hawaii Citizens Rights, Hawaii State Teachers Association, International Union of Elevator Constructors and Ironworkers for Better Government.
In six months, 28-year-old candidate Juno Ann Apalla, who began the reporting period with no cash on hand, raised a little more than $8,000, with most of those donations being of $100 or less. Her campaign has spent $6,553.09, which leaves her with a surplus of $1,747.28.
Candidate Matthew Bernabe has raised nearly $3,000 since January and spent $1,904.80, which leaves him with a surplus of $917.20. The largest contribution he received was of $1,000 from a retired mortgage broker.
Between January and June, Friends of Arthur Brun has raised a total of $14,701 in campaign contributions, with most of the donations being of more than $100. Top donors include Waalani Enterprises and Hawaii Laborers, which have each contributed $2,000 to Brun. The campaign has spent $8,116.
Na Kuaaina o Kauai, the campaign for candidate Mason Chock, has raised $3,784.50 in six months, with the majority of his contributions being of $100 or less. Chock’s campaign began the year with a deficit of $1,119.22 cash on hand. He ends the reporting period with a deficit of $345.30 after having spent a total of $3,010.58.
Candidate Norma Doctor Sparks sits at a deficit of $6,778.60 as of June 30. Her campaign has spent $12,846.89 and has raised in contributions a total of $6,125. Sparks pulled out $7,637.20 in loans from her husband to cover a kick-off event and other campaign expenditures.
Candidate Richard Fukushima has raised $1,157 in contributions and spent a total of $856.21. He sits at a surplus of $300.79.
Councilman Ross Kagawa’s campaign has received a total of $6,460 in campaign donations for this reporting period, with most of the donations being of $100 or more, according to figures from the campaign spending commission.
Kagawa, whose campaign began with a surplus of $5,945.94 cash on hand, has spent $3,290.04. He begins the next reporting period with a surplus of $9,115.90.
Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura’s campaign, JoAnn Yukimura’s Many Friends, began the reporting period with $14,792.46 cash on hand this year.
Contributors have donated $2,250 and she has spent $6,045.14 during the last six months, according to the campaign spending commission. She ends the reporting period with $10,997.32 cash on hand.
Incumbent Mel Rapozo’s campaign has raised more than $7,000 in six months, with about $4,000 of those donations coming from donors who gave more than $100.
Friends of Mel Rapozo spent $9,114.46 since January on campaign expenditures and has a surplus of $13,297.40 cash on hand at the end of this reporting period.
Councilman KipuKai Kuali’i’s contributors have donated a total of $1,000 this reporting period. His campaign, which began with $9,502.07 cash on hand, has spent a total of $2,049.06. He ends the reporting period with a surplus of $8,296.44.
He has made two campaign donations, one to the Kauai Veterans Museum and the other to the National Association of Counties or “new LGBT county officials & allies organization.”
Kaneshiro for Council, Councilman Arryl Kaneshiro’s campaign, has raised $4,850 this reporting period, but began the year with $36,005.47 cash on hand. It has spent $12,021.76 this reporting period.
Kaneshiro has spent nearly $4,000 on roadside banners and about $2,500 on T-shirt marketing in the last six months.
All information is from the Campaign Spending Commission.