Giuliani will hold party for Lingle
By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani will hold a fund-raiser for Republican gubernatorial candidate Linda Lingle this week in New York, Lingle campaign officials said yesterday.
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The New York fund-raiser is among several Mainland events scheduled to help Lingle raise campaign money as her race for governor gains more national attention. Various national news reports have described Lingle as a strong contender for Hawai'i governor, and Lingle said she is receiving growing support from Republican officials across the country.
Linda Lingle is running for governor again.
Lingle isn't the only candidate who has sought Giuliani's help. National Republican officials have said the former mayor — lauded for his leadership after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks — will crisscross the country this year for House, Senate and gubernatorial candidates.
Giuliani held a fund-raiser for Lingle in New York during her 1998 bid for governor, which she lost to Gov. Ben Cayetano by 1.3 percentage points, the narrowest Hawai'i gubernatorial margin ever. The New York event raised $100,000, and Lingle said she hopes this year's event will raise the same amount.
New York Gov. George Pataki, Connecticut Gov. John Rowland and former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld will be co-hosts of the Lingle fund-raiser with Giuliani.
Lingle said the national party is giving her more support than she received in 1998. Lingle is considered by observers as having a very good chance at winning the governor's office. Having a Republican governor would strengthen the local party organization in Hawai'i and improve the GOP's chances of winning congressional seats.
For the 2002 race, Republican officials have helped Lingle with fund-raising events in Connecticut, Arizona and several cities in California, she said.
"Last time, we had to struggle so hard just to get them to focus that there was a race going on in Hawai'i," Lingle said. "This time it's one that they feel a Republican can pick up. It's much different this time."
Lingle said her campaign has budgeted spending about $5 million, and that about 20 percent of that money would likely come from sources outside Hawai'i. She said it is not unusual for Republican candidates in traditionally Democratic states to seek outside money.
Hawai'i Democratic Party chairwoman Lorraine Akiba said the party and Democratic candidates do not usually seek money outside the state and instead focus on gathering grass-roots support in the community. She said there is a concern that candidates who receive a significant amount of money from outside sources would have obligations to those outside Hawai'i.
Other candidates running for governor are Republican John Carroll and Democrats Andy Anderson, state Rep. Ed Case and Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris.
Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.
