Cayetano back on board the campaign after leaving hospital
Two days after leaving the hospital, former Gov. Ben Cayetano was back on the campaign trail Thursday — a campaign trolley to be specific.
Meanwhile, former city Managing Director Kirk Caldwell planned a trolley tour of his own, while Mayor Peter Carlisle tried to work campaigning around a busy city work schedule.
The race could be decided in Saturday’s primary election if one receives more than 50 percent of the vote. If not, the top two have another 12 weeks of campaigning before facing off in the November general election.
Cayetano has the best shot at crossing the 50 percent threshold. He had 44 percent support in last month’s Hawaii Poll conducted for the Star-Advertiser and Hawaii News Now. Carlisle and Caldwell were in a statistical dead heat with 27 percent and 24 percent, respectively, with 4 percent who did not know or refused to answer.
Cayetano boarded a trolley to wave and thank scores of sign wavers who packed around the Capitol district to show their support for the two-term former governor, who was released Tuesday from the Queen’s Medical Center after being treated for a bleeding ulcer. He was admitted on Sunday.