Posted on: Friday, May 31, 2002

Major events in Jeremy Harris' effort to run for governor

RELATED STORIES
•	Mayor Harris withdraws from governor's race
•	Mayor's campaign troubled from start
•	Lingle says no change in strategy
•	Mayoral hopefuls left without a race
•	Hirono back in race for governor
•	Campaign investigation made 'bad publicity'
•	Democrats scramble to move into position
•	Reshaping Hawai'i's political landscape:
•	Major events in Jeremy Harris' effort to run for governor
•	Lee Cataluna: Democrats search for real leader
•	Interactive/Multimedia: Video of Harris announcement (courtesy of KHNL-News8) Do you think the mayor made the right decision? Take our survey. Join our discussion. • Submit a letter to the editor.

Less than 14 months after announcing he would run for governor, Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris said yesterday he was withdrawing from the race because he could not win. A list of key developments along the way:

April 10, 2001: Mayor Jeremy Harris announces he will run for governor.

Sept. 7, 2001: State campaign officials subpoena bank records related to the Harris campaign.

Nov. 21, 2001: Former state District Judge Russell Blair files a lawsuit saying the state Constitution's resign-to-run provision requires Harris to leave the mayor's office immediately. Harris maintains he can remain mayor until July 23, the deadline for filing nomination papers to run for governor.

Jan. 15, 2002: The state Campaign Spending Commission requests the city prosecutor's office begin a criminal investigation of Harris and three leaders of his 2000 re-election campaign. The commission was acting on a complaint by its executive director that Harris and the others circumvented donation limits by intentionally attributing contributions to people who never made them. Harris says the probe is a "politically motivated vendetta."

Jan. 18, 2002: Harris says he has been wearing a bullet-proof vest for three months after receiving what he said police considered to be a credible death threat related to his run for governor. After talking it over with his wife Ramona, they decided he should stay in the race.

Jan. 19, 2002: In an interview with The Advertiser, Harris said he believes members of his own party are aggressively pushing the investigation into campaign fund-raising because "they don't like my brand of Democratic politics."

January 2002: Geolabs-Hawaii, a geotechnical engineering firm, is fined $64,000 by the Campaign Spending Commission for excessive contributions to campaigns for Harris and other candidates. Other companies and individuals had been fined earlier for excessive Harris campaign contributions.

Feb. 17, 2002: The Honolulu Advertiser/News 8 Hawai'i Poll shows that Harris and Republican Party Chairwoman Linda Lingle are equally well known among registered voters statewide, but slightly more people have a favorable view of Lingle than Harris.

Feb. 18, 2002: Campaign contribution totals between July 1, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2001, show Harris raising $1,032,799, far more money than any other gubernatorial candidate.

March 11, 2002: Circuit Court Judge Sabrina McKenna rules Harris must resign as mayor to continue his run for governor. Harris files an appeal, but the next day Harris suspends campaign activities pending the outcome of the appeal.

May 7, 2002: The Hawai'i Supreme Court overturns McKenna's ruling.

May 16, 2002: The City Council's budget committee battles th

e Harris Administration over his $1.1 billion operating budget and $475.5 million construction budget. In the midst of the battle, council members are angered by the Harris administration's mailing of 10,000 letters to constituents at city expense seeking to put pressure on the council.

May 30, 2002: Saying his campaign had "stalled" and GOP front-runner Linda Lingle had a 22-point lead over him, Harris announces he is dropping out of the governor's race on the eve of the state party convention.