Many political donors and interest groups that had supported Gov. Neil Abercrombie in the past have gravitated toward state Sen. David Ige since the Democratic primary, a shift that has benefitted Ige’s campaign both politically and financially.

Ige had his best fundraising performance after the primary, bringing in $1.2 million of the $1.9 million he has raised for the election. A Star-Advertiser analysis of state campaign-finance data shows that Ige received $330,625 — or 28 percent — since the primary from donors who had previously contributed to Abercrombie.

Several labor unions and environmental interests that had stayed neutral during the primary have also since moved to Ige, including the Hawaii Government Employees Association, the United Public Workers and Sierra Club Hawaii. Several sources familiar with the deliberations said privately that the interest groups had lost faith in Abercrombie but were initially unsure about Ige as the alternative.

The draw toward Ige is significant because of the state’s Democratic tradition. A Hawaii Poll taken this month found that voters who backed Ige listed party affiliation as the second most important reason for their support, closely behind the perception that the state senator shares their values.

Former Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, the Republican, not only has to overcome Ige, but the reflexive pull voters have shown for Democrats.

"Our team reminds us of our commitment to the shared values for Hawaii: those values of championing the middle class, keeping Social Security and Medicare strong for our kupuna, fighting for equal pay for equal work, and creating educational opportunities for our keiki," U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, who is leading the Democrats’ coordinated campaign, said in a statement.

"That is why people from across the state are uniting behind our Democratic team."

Republicans have sought to link Ige with the unpopular Abercrombie, so the overlap in campaign donors between the two Democrats could help cement that connection.

"If a voter is looking for something different and something new, they’re not going to get that in David Ige," said Blake Parsons, executive director of the Hawaii Republican Party. "It’s the same exact people. The same players who are behind Abercrombie are behind Ige as well."

Republicans hope to break through to voters who usually lean toward Democrats by emphasizing issues such as the state’s high cost of living and the lack of economic opportunities that cause many people, particularly young people, to leave the state.

"At the end of the day, what are people most concerned about? What are the majority of people most concerned about?" Parsons said. "They’re concerned about cost of living and are they going to be able to put gas in their car and are they going to be able to provide for their family."

Dante Carpenter, a former chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawaii and a longtime Abercrombie ally, said the governor made it easier for his supporters to transition to Ige by being magnanimous after his historic primary loss.

There have been some anecdotal reports of the Ige campaign resisting tactical advice, and of the natural tension between rival factions within the party competing for power. But sources say most have embraced the shared goal of keeping Washington Place.

"I think that everybody has come to reconcile," Carpenter said.

The shift toward Ige has also been symbolic.

Michelle Obama, the first lady, endorsed Ige this month in a radio ad, describing the state senator as an "engineer with the experience Hawaii needs to create great jobs and build a thriving economy."

President Barack Obama had endorsed Abercrombie in the primary. The governor knew the Hawaii-born president’s parents at the University of Hawaii and was an early enthusiast of his presidential campaign in 2008.

Closer to home, Bruce Coppa, Abercrombie’s chief of staff, put an Ige sticker on his SUV shortly after the primary.

On the Net:

Dana Williams, the data news editor at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, has created a database that allows readers to search contributions to candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate. Visit data.staradvertiser.com/govdata/govdata.