DCCC Pulls Out Of Hawaii
The DCCC is pulling out of the race to replace ex-Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), effectively ceding the heavily Dem seat to the GOP as intra-party feuding splits the vote.
"The DCCC will not be investing additional resources in the HI-01 (Abercrombie-open) special election. Local Democrats were unable to work out their differences," DCCC communications director Jennifer Crider said in an emailed statement. "The DCCC will save the resources we would have invested in the Hawaii special election this month for the general election in November."
The move comes as polls show Honolulu City Councillor Charles Djou (R) leading 2 other Dems -- ex-Rep. Ed Case (D) and state Senate Pres. Colleen Hanabusa (D) -- in advance of the May 22 special election. The winner of the plurality of votes will fill Abercrombie's seat for the remainder of the term.
Dems had not invested in the race for a week, but the party has spent a total of $314K on ad campaigns attacking Djou's stands on taxes and spending. Pres. Obama recorded a robo-call urging voters to back an unspecified Dem candidate.
DC Dems had quietly worked behind the scenes to boost Case's bid, while the HI Dem establishment was supporting Hanabusa. The DCCC did not overtly say they would back Case, but a DNC-sponsored poll showed Case was the only candidate who could win, and anonymous WH officials took the same view.
Djou will face a tough challenge in his bid to keep the seat this Nov. Obama took 70% in the Honolulu-based district, where he was born, and the seat heavily favors the winner of an eventual Dem primary. Case and Hanabusa will square off in the Sept. 18 primary election.
If Djou does go on to win, it will be the first time since May '08 the GOP has won a special House election. Dems have won 10 in a row, including taking over 3 GOP-held seats, since then.
The last paragraph is not quite accurate -- Republicans won special elections in LA-2 and LA-4 in December '08. Although these were run-offs from the November 4th election, they were considered specials, since they were held as a result of the hurricane-forced cancellation of the October primaries.
If this doesn't say that they are conceding a likely loss to Djou, I don't know what does.
As a former resident of Honolulu, HI, and one who still wishes the best for the beautiful Hawaiian Islands, I say, "Best wishes for Charles Djou!"
It will be nice for Hawaii to have a conservative representative. Shaka Ono!
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It's been made official!
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