Caldwell beats Djou to win reelection as Honolulu’s mayor
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Kirk Caldwell gave a shaka to his supporters tonight at the former Sports Authority location at Ward Centers.
NANEA KALANI / NKALANI@STARADVERTISER.COM
Kirk Caldwell spoke to the crowd tonight at the former Sports Authority location at Ward Center.
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Kirk Caldwell supporters react to the first printout showing their candidate ahead.
KIM YUEN / KYUEN@STARADVERTISER.COM
Kirk Caldwell supporters gathered at the mayor’s party headquarters tonight at the former Sports Authority location on Ward Avenue.
STAR-ADVERTISER
Kirk Caldwell and Charles Djou
Incumbent Kirk Caldwell defeated former U.S. Rep. and City Councilman Charles Djou in the battle for Honolulu mayor Tuesday night.
With nearly all the ballots counted before midnight, Caldwell had 138,142 votes, or 52.3 percent, to Djou’s 125,945, or 47.7 percent.
Djou conceded shortly after 10 p.m., telling supporters at the Pearl Country Club clubhouse in Aiea, “I’m very sorry that tonight I fell short. We gave it our all.”
His apology was met with supportive cries from the crowd.
“Our community, our city our Hawaii deserves an honest, accountable, responsible government,” he said. “I still believe that there will be a time where we’re able to hold our elected officials accountable on promises they make to the people. I still believe there will be a time that we have a competitive two party democracy on our islands here in Hawaii and I believe there will be a time where it is not money but heart that determines the outcome of elections. I’m saddened that that time is not today.”
Caldwell, at his campaign party at the former Ward Center Sports Authority site, came on stage to Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” to after Djou’s concession.
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“We took our message all over this island into every single neighborhood,” the mayor said. “And we talked about what we were doing over the last four years, and I think this island heard what we’re doing, and they want to give us another four years to even do more.
“For me, it is about infrastructure. But it’s not about the stuff that’s underground, on the ground and above the ground. It’s about the people who live on this island — how do we help them to thrive.”
Caldwell said completing the rail line will be his biggest priority.
“No. 1 we’re going to work really hard to complete rail all the way to Ala Moana — 20 miles, 21 stations,” he said. “It’s not about the construction. It’s about giving people a choice to get out of cars and travel quickly. It’s about transportation equality, social justice, to help those who work in town to get back and forth from home and get out of gridlock, just not for today but for 100 years from now. That is a legacy all of us are working on to complete.”
In the primary, Caldwell finished ahead of Djou by 1,530 votes in a field of 11 candidates, leading to the general election head-to-head contest.
John Strandberg, a disappointed Djou supporter from Manoa, said of his candidate Tuesday night, “He’s an outsider and that’s what we needed. The people of Honolulu aren’t ready for change. It goes back to the same routine.”
The early part of the campaign was dominated by debate over the escalating costs of what is now projected to be an $8 billion rail project from East Kapolei to Ala Moana with Djou suggesting the city should consider alternatives to building the entire 20-mile line.
But since the Aug. 13 primary, Djou acknowledged that federal transit officials left the city no choice but to go to Ala Moana, leaving how to fund the project’s last leg the only difference between him and Caldwell on the issue. Caldwell favors extending the existing, Oahu-only 0.5 percent surcharge on the general excise tax beyond 2027. Djou said he opposes that idea.
Djou has also questioned Caldwell’s leadership and ethics, criticizing the mayor for not doing more to deal with ongoing conflict in several agencies, most notably turmoil in the Honolulu Police Department, and his role in what appeared to be an over-exertion of authority over the city Ethics Commission.
While all city races are nonpartisan, Hawaii is a predominantly Democratic state and card-carrying Democrat Caldwell is boasting the support of current Gov. David Ige and former Democratic governors Neil Abercrombie, John Waihee and George Ariyoshi, President Barack Obama, as well as five Council Councilmembers. Djou has countered that his supporters include former Democratic Gov. Ben Cayetano, three Democratic Councilmembers including Chairman Ernie Martin and former Democratic Party Chairman Walter Heen.
Caldwell has outspent Djou 3-to-1 since the primary, spending $947,549 to Djou’s $339,628.
The waning weeks of the race saw an upswing in negative campaigning, much of it by third-party independent expenditures or super PACS, which can spend an unlimited amount of money in support or opposition to a candidate so long as there is no coordination with any of them.
The union-backed Workers for a Better Hawaii has spent more than $750,000 through Oct. 31 on radio and TV ads that touted Caldwell’s support of seniors, women and other targeted groups as well as messages ripping Djou for voting with congressional and state legislative Republicans. The group is funded largely by the Hawaii Government Employees Association, the Hawaii State AFL-CIO, AFSCME and the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters.
The latter was the main contributor to the Pacific Resource Partnership PAC, which spent $3.6 million on advertising aimed at persuading voters to reject Cayetano’s anti-rail mayoral campaign. Cayetano subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit against the super PAC, which was settled when PRP agreed to issue a public apology and donate $125,000 to two charities.
The newly formed Save Our City LLC, meanwhile, is expected to spend a minimum of $300,000 on its Anybody But Caldwell ads that portray Caldwell as greedy, pointing out that he has been paid $200,000 annually in recent years to be on Territorial Savings Bank’s board of directors.
Save Our City received $170,000 of its funding from Dennis Mitsunaga, president of local architectural, engineering and construction management firm Mitsunaga & Associates. An additional $36,490 came from 11 Mitsunaga officials and employees. Cayetano contributed $5,000.
In the Aug. 13 primary, in what was considered to be a three-way fight between Caldwell, Djou and former Mayor Peter Carlisle, Caldwell beat Djou by 1,530 votes. Caldwell grabbed 74,062 votes, 44.6 percent of the votes cast, while Djou received 72,532 votes, or 43.7 percent.
Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro appeared to be heading for a second, four-year term, handily beating little-known opponent Anosh Yaqoob.
All three incumbent Councilmembers facing general election contests were well on their way to winning re-election.
In Council District 5 (Kaimuki to Kakaako), Ann Kobayashi was besting opponent Kimberly Case; in District 7 (Kalihi to Foster Village), Joey Manahan was beating Chace Shigemasa; and in District 9 (Mililani Town to Ewa Beach), Ron Menor was running far ahead of Emil Svrcina.
Two others won re-election during the Aug. 13 primary.
Councilwoman Kymberly Pine won re-election to her District 1 seat (Waianae to Ewa Beach) after she received more than 50 percent of the votes cast. She beat out Kioni Dudley, Tom Berg and Marc E. Anthony.
Councilman Ikaika Anderson, who represents District 3 (Ahuimanu to Waimanalo), ran unopposed and won re-election by virtue of receiving one vote.
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Star-Advertiser staff writers Kathryn Mykleseth and Nanea Kalani contributed to this report.
91 responses to “Caldwell beats Djou to win reelection as Honolulu’s mayor”
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Looks like Oahu voters are stoopid enough to re-elect the man responaible for 6 years behind schedule and about 6 billion over the original budget with no accountability.
Bend over Oahu, you’re going to get what you asked for.
Well said. Too bad the rest of us are going to get sucked into lying Caldwell never ending taxes.
It’s not like KROOKWELL won a resounding victory.
That means there are a LOT of dissatisfied voters out there. Like what put Trump into the victory circle.
KROOKWELL had better not screw the pooch
But Trump won.
Caldwell had a resounding victory. People on Oahu support rail and have seen through Djou’s flip flopping lies.
No bigger lie than “on time and on budget”
Baloney. The City has done the best it can against delays caued by frivolous law suits.
Baloney. Frivolous lawsuits don’t halt construction projects.
Well I thing a whole lot of blame needs to be thrown at Dennis Mitsunaga of Mitsunaga and Associates. This whacko spamed the entire Hawaii Democratic database with a poorly written letter in a childish attempt to support Djou.
He supported cayetano too. I would have run from his endorsement. Just because he neva get contract.
Couldn’t have said it better. I am amazed that nationally, people are so sick of both the republicans and democrats that they elected a womanizing, condescending, egotistical bigot, and yet we keep putting the same clowns back in here. Now, we all have nothing to complain about when the state goes bankrupt because of who we put in office 4 years ago, and in spite of his ineptness, we put right back in. We made our bed, now we will have to sleep in it.
Hawaii’s Democrats have improved the position of the working man in Hawaii. What more is there to say?
The democrats have also put Hawaii in the sorry state we are in now. Poor infrastructure, high taxes and a welfare mentality.
You might ask why its so unbearably expensive to live here relative to low wages, if the Demos have done such a great job. You might ask why every government project is full of cost over runs and graft. You might, but you probably won’t.
Bottom line, nearly every city worker has a spouse, a child who is at least 18 years old, a mother, a father, an aunt, an uncle and a best friend who has committed to vote for Caldwell. This is why incumbents are hard to oust in Hawai‘i. The ’ohana system guarantees it.
Jeez have some respect for the electorate.
Do you have any reasons why?
Voters across the nation voted for change. But not here in Hawaii, the most politically one sided, corrupt state in the union. Nothing will change until it must, it’s but a matter of time before the public worker unions and their puppet (D) politicians bankrupt the state. 16 billion in unfunded public worker pension obligations currently and growing every day.
Djou probably would have just spun his wheels in office anyway voting no on everything instead of trying to get stuff actually passed. Djou should just fade away since his style of mainland politics in Hawaii is like pounding a square peg into a round hole.
The real sad story is despite one party control for decades, essentially none of the State and cities great problems ever get solved. Rail fiasco, high taxes, Education, Traffic, homelessness, affordability, doctor shortages etc along with below average performance of all our city and state agencies still happens. Voter turnout is the poor in part due to lack of choices. Hawaii is becoming more and more third world and bucking trends of the rest of the nation.
Baloney. We never lack for efforts to help people.
The difference is that we have aloha for everyone here. We don’t have the deep racial devisions of the mainland and that’s good.
We don’t want to import mainland ills to Hawaii. Keep da buggahs out.
ITA krrusha. After 3 major defeats, I wish Djou would just go away but he’s too stubborn.
If you voted for a mayor only because of rail, then you dumb.
A lot of other city issues could have been fixed if not for the BILLIONS wasted on rail.
The worst day with Caldwell will be better than the best day with Dijou
Agree!!
oops..this post was intended for KEOLU.
wow, a blow out. great. imua rail. djou and anit railers aloha oe.
What you and all the others that are turning a blind eye to the facts, is that Caldwell has refused to take responsibility for the fiasco called rail, and as such has failed as the leader of our county. Hope you are all ready to get taxed to death. Excise tax, property tax, vehicle registration will all be going up to make up for the catastrophic overruns that are inevitable.
No, they will be raising our taxes to pay for those charter amendments like the one for the zoo. Where do you think the money will come from? Yes, our rp taxes. And the other amendments just adds more bureaucracy. They gotta get the money from somewhere. I said it before that the half percent rail tax will be going on for more years if not forever, much of it because they need to keep the cost to ride the rail down and with operational expenses the rail will never break even so we need to keep paying to keep it operational.
You can bet your life, when they figure out no one is riding it, they are going to start penalizing car owners. Outrageous registration fee for the second vehicle with the same address, even higher fuel tax, are just a couple that will most likely be looked at.
Hang on to your money. Put it in Kirks bank for safe keepings. LOL
Djou is “aloha oe” because he said he would continue on with rail instead of saying he would end the money grab the project really is.
Caldwell the union puppet
When we wake up tomorrow……….how can we come together and continue to make America great………hold on your wallet…….it’s going to get bumpy….
Maybe trump will put and end to this dead horse rail. Just cut off the Feds money to the project
Agree.
He’s got Richard Chamberlin eyes. Yes, I’m secure enough to notice that.
Djou’s concession was a replay of Cayetano’s sore loser speech.
He gave a concession speech? That was more than Hillary was willing to do for her supporters. She sent Podesta.
Nope. Hillary gave her own speech. You’re lying as usual.
Keep on local politics and issues Kala,sheesh.
Insane Hawaii voters!!! Putting the same corrupt and ineffective politicians back in office to serve their union puppet masters at our expense. How could you put Hanabusa back in office and hope that Schatz, Hirono, and Hanabusa will do something of meaning for us???
Caldwell still has no plan on how to finance rail, negotiate all of the hurdles to go from Middle Street to Ala Moana, how to power the whole system, and how to pay for the operation and maintenance . Also, have not solved the problem of where all these supposed riders (in 6 years) will end up parking to ride the train from nowhere to nowhere near UH.
Caldwell has a plan to finance rail. Make the GET increase permanent and then raise property taxes as well.
yeah sure, as if Djon’t had any better plans.
At least he was not going to raise property taxes to build the rail. The people on Oahu are going to get pounded with taxes to build this out of control boondoggle.
Yes, extending the small half percent GE tax is the best way since we really don’t feel it.
Inep voters vote in inept mayor again!
Just stop by his historic house and you’ll hear Krook singing “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad…” at full volume.
Except he HASN’T been “working” on that Rail Fail now has he? Hat-in-hand, begging for money and tax extensions, short of money, over budget…
It is becoming commonplace for Hawaii voters to vote without knowing what they are voting for. I think maybe Hawaii people just vote Democrat because their parents or grandparents voted Democrat. Wise up people and find out what is going on here or just don’t vote at all because you are just ruining the entire election process.
No, the problem is that the republicans are so inept that they can’t field competent candidates. They have too many has been and never was candidates like Chucky Djon’t and Duke Aiona that it was a shoo in for the democrats.
Obviously you’ve never met or spent any time with Sam Slom, otherwise you’d know that your attitude is ridiculous. And speaking nationally, it was your party that nominated the only possible candidate that Trump could beat.
This has to go down in history as one of the biggest slaps in the face. Anyone on earth should have beaten Trump, and yet Hillary with all her connections, all her experience, potentially the first women president, complete backing from the NDC from the day she conceded to Obama, still wasn’t enough.
What an idi0tic comment @hawaiikone! Too much time in confined space of elevators. Do you realize how you just put down the Republican Party? Because, maybe you forgot, but Trump first beat EVERY SINGLE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE! Lol…
Earth to Control, is that you,Boots?
Looks like you don’t know anything about the vote. Neither Caldwell or Djou had a party next to their names on the ballot. Voters voted for who they thought would be the best mayor based on the candidate’s name & policies, not their party.
I guess you did not watch the commercials that named Djou as a Republican.
Aloha Charles and mahalo for improving your smile over the past campaigns. You almost got it so it seems natural.
As opposed to that bastion of sincerity, Kirk Caldwell?
The problem is that too many people don’t vote and we have our status quo.
More taxes, more homeless, more keiki leaving for greener pastures.We continue to live in a place place run by developers and unions through crooked power mad politicians.
Charles Djou is a good man. He had nothing to apologize. We should thank all of the candidates for their willingness to throw their hat in the ring and serve.
Sad…I appreciate the effort the Mr. Djou brought to run for Mayor. I hope we can tap into his integrity and experience to help the people of Honolulu.
sorry wn, Hawaii is a democratic state and Djon’t is republican.
Was that an error because Djon’t is funny.
So sad, now the people of Hawaii will wish that they didn’t put this man back in office. Way to go Hawaii. We are doomed. At least Trump won.
Yes Tahitigirl, we are doomed now that Trump won.
Well folks lets see how much money you have to shell out of your pocket to pay for rail, maintenance, and other high cost projects the mayor is proposing. I bet your property taxes will sky rocket within two years to balance his project.
your property taxes will go up to pay for the zoo and addition of other departments and new committees formed due to the charter amendments.
We may have had to pay a bit more, but not the 50% or more it’s going to cost to build and maintain the rail.
5 years ago fear mongers were saying” ah your prop.tax going up this year” crickets. 2014 crickets 2015 crickets.
If the legislature didn’t cave in last year and extend the GET, property taxes would have gone up and kirk would be unemployed.
Don’t worry Caldwell will be out of office before this project is completed. I am going to take a back seat and watch how this is going to plays out and let the blame game begin. With so many problems with rail they will have their hands full.
Wow woke up and all I see are the negative comments. Well the people voted again and again. Let’s just make the best of it and work together.
Doubt anymore federal money coming to Hawaii which means Hawaii residents footing the bill of a management, design and execution flawed rail.
This shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone. Djou wanted to finish the rail to ala moana so he was no different than Caldwell. Before that he had the backing of the anti rail people like slater and cayetano. We didn’t hear much from them after Djou pledged his support to finish the rail and not kill it.
Djou probably was convinced with heavy local union campaign finance money to say he would continue the rail all the way to Ala Moana center. Agree that was the beginning of the end for Djou.
Very sad day for the people and the aina.
Very great day for the aina. Let’s come together and work as a community to support Mayor Caldwell. As for Djou, good bye! He was a sore loser on his concession speech if you can even call it that.
OK you CALDWELL VOTERS; don’t complain as YOUR WATER/SEWER & PROPERTY TAXES keep going up and up. Of course, if you’re on welfare or homeless, you might like Caldwell ’cause you don’t pay any taxes anyway.
You think homeless and welfare vote? Lol.
Why, you neva’ vote? Hahaha…
It probably wouldn’t matter who won the mayor’s race; nothing will change anyway.
At least the rest of the country got it right.
hey weather we like it or not the people has spoken. gotta live with it
4 more years, no more……….get out!
All about them unions in the Aloha State. Nothing more nothing less.
Time to activate my exit strategy. This island will become the next Detroit. Aloha!
only divine intervention can save the good people from evil Caldwell
“Caldwell Beats Djou”…and we all lose!
Neither one of them were any good. Both are for taxing us for the rail that is broken before a train has even been on the tracks.
News is full of DRAMA! That’s how they sell Papers!
The Rail Project: Oahu-only 0.5 percent surcharge on the general excise tax beyond 2027. WRONG! It’s half of ONE PERCENT!!!! Wrong News reporting!!!
Example: Those who have GE Licenses are the ONLY ones who pay this!!! “very few”!! If you gross $10,000 dollars you would only pay $50 dollars!!! that’s what (half of ONE PERCENT IS)!!!!!
Such a small price for such a HUGE BENNEFIT!!!! Common People Wake UP!!! Don’t blow this GREAT OPPERTUNITY!!!!
READ into what we are getting!!!! Don’t only listen to the TV, RADIO and Paper!
You are all being trapped by the idea of DRAMA sells!!! And that’s the News media that’s how they make money!
Wake up!!!!!!!