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Abercrombie to enter race for governor
POSTED: 07:23 a.m. HST, Mar 06, 2009
U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie has ended political speculation by telling Washington leaders he will run for governor of Hawaii next year.
The 70-year-old Democrat has also discussed it with political supporters in Honolulu, but has not officially announced.
In November, Abercrombie told the Star-Bulletin that he had reached the “zenith” of his power in Washington, D.C., but stopped short of declaring for governor.
Since then key supporters have been meeting regularly in Honolulu to map out strategy for a possible campaign.
This morning the Associated Press in Washington reported Abercrombie told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of his intentions last night. The AP said the information came from an official who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
Abercrombie’s announcement is to be made via an Internet video Sunday, according to the AP.
After the AP report, Abercrombie issued a terse statement saying he was returning to Honolulu “this weekend to meet with his family and close advisors to evaluate his options for the 2010 election cycle.”
“No formal announcement of his plans have been made,” the statement read. Abercrombie was not available for further comment.
In Honolulu, local Democrats said they had heard an “announcement was imminent.”
“We had heard he was going, but we didn’t know the mechanics of the announcement,” said one Democrat who asked to not be identified.
Communications executive Jim Loomis, who has worked on past Abercrombie campaigns, said “This is great news … Neil will make a terrific governor.”
“Neil’s in-depth knowledge of how Washington works and his personal friendship with President Obama will be a huge benefit for Hawaii when he’s governor,” Loomis said.
There has been no official comment from Abercrombie political staff or his Washington office regarding the campaign for governor.
Previously, staffers have said that Abercrombie wanted to clear up how, if at all, he could use campaign donations collected for his federal races. The campaign spending commission has said the money could not be directly transferred to a state or county race.
The only other announced candidate for governor is Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona, a Republican. Also in the mix for a possible run are Mayor Mufi Hannemann and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa.
The race for Abercrombie’s 1st Congressional district seat, which runs from Hawaii Kai to Mililani, is likely to draw a crowded field. So far, only City Councilman Charles Djou, a Republican, has said he would run.
U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie has ended political speculation by telling Washington leaders he will run for governor of Hawaii next year.
The 70-year-old Democrat has also discussed it with political supporters in Honolulu, but has not officially announced.
In November, Abercrombie told the Star-Bulletin that he had reached the “zenith” of his power in Washington, D.C., but stopped short of declaring for governor.
Since then key supporters have been meeting regularly in Honolulu to map out strategy for a possible campaign.
This morning the Associated Press in Washington reported Abercrombie told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of his intentions last night. The AP said the information came from an official who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
Abercrombie’s announcement is to be made via an Internet video Sunday, according to the AP.
After the AP report, Abercrombie issued a terse statement saying he was returning to Honolulu “this weekend to meet with his family and close advisors to evaluate his options for the 2010 election cycle.”
“No formal announcement of his plans have been made,” the statement read. Abercrombie was not available for further comment.
In Honolulu, local Democrats said they had heard an “announcement was imminent.”
“We had heard he was going, but we didn’t know the mechanics of the announcement,” said one Democrat who asked to not be identified.
Communications executive Jim Loomis, who has worked on past Abercrombie campaigns, said “This is great news … Neil will make a terrific governor.”
“Neil’s in-depth knowledge of how Washington works and his personal friendship with President Obama will be a huge benefit for Hawaii when he’s governor,” Loomis said.
There has been no official comment from Abercrombie political staff or his Washington office regarding the campaign for governor.
Previously, staffers have said that Abercrombie wanted to clear up how, if at all, he could use campaign donations collected for his federal races. The campaign spending commission has said the money could not be directly transferred to a state or county race.
The only other announced candidate for governor is Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona, a Republican. Also in the mix for a possible run are Mayor Mufi Hannemann and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa.
The race for Abercrombie’s 1st Congressional district seat, which runs from Hawaii Kai to Mililani, is likely to draw a crowded field. So far, only City Councilman Charles Djou, a Republican, has said he would run.
Today’s Edition
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