Just a week after state Rep. Lynn Finnegan, the minority House leader, announced she was running for lieutenant governor — and just two days after the Hawaii Republican Party held their convention — an e-mail press release from the state Legislature says Finnegan and Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona are a team … sorta.

The email, titled “Aiona Finnegan team up on new state energy rebate initiative,” was sent May 17 from Michele Van Hessen, the legislative aide and media liaison for the minority caucus. It includes a showing a May 15 press conference in which Duke announced the initiative in the governor’s fifth floor office at the Capitol.

Finnegan has only a brief appearance in the clip, far less than what is promised by the title of the email blast. One wonders if the email is a not-so-subtle early attempt to link Duke and Lynn as a political ticket.

As of May 13, three Republicans including Aiona had pulled papers to run for governor, and a fourth, Big Isle attorney John Carroll, has said publicly that he is running. One Republican, Adrienne King, has filed to run for lieutenant governor while another Republican has pulled papers.

The last day to file for Hawaii’s primary election is July 20.

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