Posted on: Monday, February 23, 2004

Inouye seeking $2 million in pursuit of 8th term

By Frank Oliveri
Advertiser Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawai'i, hopes to raise $2 million in his bid for an eighth term in the U.S. Senate.

He already has raised about $1.4 million. No one has filed to run against him, but Inouye said he is taking nothing for granted. He raised $1.7 million to win a seventh term.

"The one thing I have learned as a politician from Day One: The worst virus you could get would be complacency," Inouye said. "I never take elections for granted."

Inouye has raised $396,128 from political action committees. Organized labor accounted for the largest portion of those donations, giving Inouye $94,525. He received $51,000 from single-interest groups and $31,250 from transportation PACs. Communication and defense donors rounded out the top five PAC contributors.

Inouye got $979,079 from individuals. He raised about $466,445 from individuals in the state. Of the total, $6,682 did not disclose their state. Individuals from out of state gave $505,952.

Inouye also has received contributions from political action committees of several colleagues, including $5,000 from Sen. John Kerry's Citizen Soldier Fund. The Massachusetts Democrat is seeking his party's presidential nomination.

Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., also contributed $5,000 through his PAC, as did Sen. Hillary Clinton,

D-N.Y. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, Inouye's friend and Republican colleague, contributed $5,000 through the Northern Lights PAC. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., gave $1,000 through his PAC.

Inouye said he plans to travel to Hawai'i and pay for radio and television ads.