State Sen. David Ige loaned his campaign $50,000 about a week before his Democratic primary victory over Gov. Neil Abercrombie to keep campaign advertisements on television.
Ige has stressed the grassroots nature of his historic upset over Abercrombie, but the personal loan in early August shows that money was a tactical concern for the campaign in the days before the vote.
Ige spent just $584,488 on the primary, state campaign-finance reports filed Friday show, or roughly $3.72 per vote. Abercrombie spent more than $5.5 million — or about $75.79 per vote — in his stunning loss.
"We knew that we wouldn’t be able to raise as much money as our opponent," Ige said.
Grassroots community events "allowed us the opportunity to tell our story," he said. "We are grateful that the people of Hawaii opened their homes and their communities to give us a chance."
The state senator said he made the late loan "because the campaign felt that it was important to have a presence on TV."
Ige faces former Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, a Republican, and former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hanne- mann, a Hawaii Independent Party candidate, in the November general election.
Aiona reported spending $429,499 through the primary, while Hannemann spent just $48,858.
In the lieutenant governor’s race, incumbent Shan Tsutsui, in his first run at statewide office, spent $909,111 to win the Democratic nomination, according to campaign-finance reports. State Sen. Clayton Hee, who finished second to Tsutsui, spent $704,386.
On the Republican side, Elwin Ahu, a former judge and senior pastor at New Hope-Metro, spent about $4.80 per vote in defeating Honolulu entrepreneur Kimo Sutton. Ahu spent $133,816 through the primary. Sutton spent $29,249.
