In open council races, candidates overcame criticism of campaign donations
Some of this year’s top fundraising candidates will take council seats
Nohe U‘u-Hodgins and Tom Cook, the two candidates who won the Maui County Council’s only open seats, survived criticism over their large amount of campaign donations and challenges by progressive candidates who banded together to campaign.
U‘u-Hodgins, with 25,135 votes, or 48 percent, beat out Nara Boone, who had 19,377 votes, or 37 percent, to assume the MakawaoHaiku-Paia residency seat. The two first-time candidates were seeking the seat being vacated by longtime Council Member Mike Molina, who gave up his seat to run unsuccessfully for mayor.
As of Oct. 24, the end of the last reporting period, U‘u-Hodgins had brought in a total of $161,000 over the course of the entire election period, the most of any other council candidate, Campaign Spending Commission records show. Of that, she spent $131,947.99. Boone, meanwhile, had brought in a total of $19,928.37 and spent $13,758.29.
Boone was part of the ‘Onipa‘a group of progressive candidates who highlighted the big money of their opponents — an argument that was unable to carry some of the candidates to victory.
“I think the donors have been relatively the same for a long time. Our local unions, our local business, and I mean even my family and friends. So all the relative people have been the same,” U‘u-Hodgins said on Friday. “But I think people just really wanted change. And so maybe more willing to donate money and more people were willing to get involved with politics this year than ever before.”
“I don’t really think it had anything to do with necessarily me or
the other people they (the progressives) mentioned, but just the symptom of the time. I think people were ready to get involved and ready to see some changes,” U‘u-Hodgins said.
Cook, meanwhile, was the second-biggest fundraiser among council candidates. He was able to take the South Maui residency seat on the council with 24,656 votes, or 47 percent, to progressive backed Robin Knox’s 20,050 votes, or 38.3 percent. The two sought the seat being vacated by Council Member Kelly King, who also left to unsuccessfully run for mayor and endorsed Knox for her seat.
As of Oct. 24, Cook had received $142,059.26 over the course of the election period and spent $118,484.31. Knox brought in a total of $39,629.07 and spent $40,884.92, leaving her with a deficit heading into the general election.
“The people that were finding that (campaign contributions) to be wrong, or unpalatable, or whatever you want to call it, I think just need to reflect on their perspective,” Cook said.
He pointed out that “people who have money, don’t necessarily have poor intentions” and that, conversely, “people who are poor and don’t have money don’t necessarily have all good intentions.”
Cook said that those in the visitor industry, finance industry and big business and influential people “were relieved to see candidates who they could at least have a conversation with.”
“I didn’t make any commitments with anybody,” he said.
He was “stoked” to get endorsements from various unions and thanks them for the 40-hour work weeks and other benefits, but said that unions also “need to grow and evolve like government and individuals.”
Both U‘u-Hodgins and Cook said they felt like they were not running against their immediate opponents but instead a slate of opposition.
Progressive candidates united under the ‘Onipa‘a 2022 banner, campaigning together and sharing expenses, as they said they could not compete with those with large campaign chests.
Cook said he also felt that he was running against a “political machine” when he ran and lost against King in 2020.
“I think they were very effective for a couple of elections doing that. I think that their backing has changed from people passing away,” Cook said.
He also added that he hopes to work with all members of the council.
On Friday, Boone continued to raise concerns about the funding that went into the winners’ campaigns.
“I’m worried for the next two years what … strings that money may try to pull,” she said.
Boone said that at first some candidates’ messages were “build, build, build,” but then it changed to capping tourism and they “kind of took over some of the things we were saying on our side, which is an interesting shift.”
Boone said the ‘Onipa‘a candidates took the “Our Hawai‘i Pledge,” which involved policies that included not accepting large donations from entities such as corporate political action committees, lobbyists, executives and outof-state developers and major landowners.
She added that it was important to group together to overcome the monetary challenges.
“We were in the face of so much money from Be Change Now (super PAC) there was absolutely no way we could manage it, the only thing we could do is come together,” Boone said.
Backed by the construction industry, Be Change Now was one of the biggest-spending super PACs this election cycle but is barred from coordinating directly with candidates.
“We are like-minded people that had this similar core values and a joint vision to bring the focus back to our residents and not tourism and overdevelopment,” Boone said.
“The best way we could cover all three islands and all the different districts was to join forces and then split the cost eight ways,” she added.
Knox said Friday night that “‘Onipa‘a arose from the grassroots and from common shared values of voters on this island and the eight of us that campaigned, it was not a campaign against others so much it was a campaign for our values and for us, a desire to have a County Council that reflects those values.”
Knox said that it’s unfortunate that people may not have time to do research or listen to a forum, and would just vote on name recognition, which can be achieved with funding for advertising. She said she had mailers in her mailbox for Cook and others almost every day.
With the election behind them, the newly elected officials are turning their focus to the council, where they said it’s too early to tell which committees they would like to sit on or even lead.
But U‘u-Hodgins said she has a lot of studying and catching up to do.
“Ultimately I want to do what I said I want to do, is to figure out a way to keep people here. That’s my ultimate and immediate priority.”
She also expressed thanks to her family, supporters and those in the community who worked hard to help her.
Cook, who since the election has been sidelined with a cold and was not able to do any mahalo sign-waving, said he is “extremely grateful.”
“I don’t take this win for granted in any way. I’m going to diligently do community outreach, especially in my district in South Maui, but in general for Maui County,” he said.
“People elect us and we have a responsibility and an obligation to represent everybody and its appropriate to be held accountable.”