State Sen. Josh Green has more than a half-million dollars in his campaign coffers, far more than any of his 24 colleagues.

Green鈥檚 $515,800 exceeds the combined cash on hand of the two senators who come closest to him on that measure, Donna Mercado Kim ($245,000) and Donovan Dela Cruz ($244,800).

Green, who represents Hawaii County鈥檚 Kona and Kau districts, also raised more money than any of his colleagues 鈥 $72,000 鈥 in the last reporting period that covers July-December 2015.

And yet, Green is not up for re-election until 2018. He faced no opponent in the 2014 Democratic primary and swamped Libertarian Michael Last, taking 76 percent of the vote in the general election.

Green has received significant contributions from medical interests. He is an emergency room doctor and was, until a recent Senate leadership shakeup, chair of the Senate Health Committee.

Sen Josh Green listens during Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Health as Chair Roslyn Baker speaks with senators during meeting about SB2478 relating to long-term elderly care at the Capitol.
Sen. Josh Green has more than a half-million dollars in campaign cash on hand. Cory Lum/Civil Beat

In 2015, donors included political action committees for the Hawaii Medical Association, the Hawaii Medical Service Association, UHA Health Insurance and the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.

Other notable Green donors from the medical field: Arthur Ushijima, president and CEO of Queens Health Systems; Jerris Hedges, dean of the University of Hawaii medical school; and Michele Carbonne, former head of the UH Cancer Center.

And here鈥檚 a few notable mainland donors involved in the health-care industry: Pfizer of New York, Surgical Notes MDP of Dallas, and Wellcare PAC and Automated Health Solutions, both of Florida.

Green has spent little of his money. Last year, the biggest benefactors were Allen McCune, a former legislative staffer for the senator, who was paid $2,000 a month by Green for 鈥渃ampaign work,鈥 and Akamai Brainstorming, who did social media work.

Asked why he has so much campaign cash, Green said it is because he has rarely had to spend any of it during his 12 years in office.

鈥淭here have been no significant races, so I just save it,鈥 he said.

Senate President Donna Mercado Kim gestures during Ways and Means meeting while questioning Mayor Kirk Caldwell. 4 march 2015. photograph Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, who lost a race for Congress in 2014, is up for re-election this year. Cory Lum/Civil Beat

It was reported recently that Green is considering running for lieutenant governor or governor in 2018, but Green said he has not put any 鈥渘ew thought鈥 into a run.

鈥淚 am waiting to see what Shan does,鈥 said Green, referring to Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui. 鈥淏ut I am also really pretty content doing what I am doing in the Senate. I am not looking at running for something else on the near horizon.鈥

He added, 鈥淢ore than anything else, people have been asking me to consider running for the mayor of the Big Island, but I respectfully declined.鈥

Other Senators With Money

Kim, a Democrat representing Kapalama and Kalihi Valley, ran unsuccessfully for Congress two years ago. She was unopposed in the 2012 primary and general elections.

Kim鈥檚 contributors include political action committees from established groups like Outrigger Enterprises, Local Union 293, Young Brothers and the Hawaii Association of Realtors. Well-known individual donors include Walter Dods and Bert A. Kobayashi.

The longtime incumbent hasn’t spent much, and what she has spent was primarily for producing a community newsletter.

Education Chair Senator Michelle Kidani during hearings. 16 march 2015. photograph Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Sen. Michelle Kidani is not up for re-election this year, but she’s attracting donors nonetheless. Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Dela Cruz is a Democrat who represents Mililani Mauka, Waipio Acres, Wahiawa and Whitmore Village. His contributors in 2015 include Monsanto Company, Turtle Bay Resort, Wallace Theatres, Hawaii Laborers PAC and the well-connected Jennifer Sabas.

Like Kim, Dela Cruz is up for re-election this year. Four years ago he ran unopposed in the primary and crushed Republican Bo Aki in the general.

Another incumbent Democrat, Sen. Michelle Kidani, is not up for re-election this year. But she is raising money, including from the Hawaii State Teachers Association (Kidani chairs Senate Education).

Kidani, who represents Mililani Town and parts of Waipio Gentry, Waikele, Village Park and Royal Kunia, ran unopposed in the 2014 primary and easily defeated Republican Dennis Kim and Libertarian Rayman Banda in the general.

Senate President Ron Kouchi of Kauai is in the top five of 2015 fundraisers, receiving cash from the likes of the Alliance for Solar Choice and Plumbers & Pipefitters PAC.

His expenses includes several thousand dollars for mainland trips that are part of his duties, such as attending a National Conference of State Legislatures meeting in Seattle.

Kouchi spent little on his campaign needs, including $77.41 for 鈥減ork butt for smoke meat鈥 from Times Supermarkets. The senator was unopposed in the 2012 primary and swamped Republican William Georgi in the general.


Green鈥檚 numbers aside, the recent campaign filings for Hawaii鈥檚 25 senators generally square with state聽 that show winning Senate campaigns in 2014 raised an average of $93,000 and spent $75,300, while losers raised $14,500 and spent $12,300.

As with the Hawaii House of Representatives, the more money a candidate has, the more likely he or show is to win.

But it鈥檚 not always that simple. Consider two Senate contests聽in 2014:

Lorraine Inouye, a former senator and Big Island mayor, easily beat incumbent Malama Solomon in the seat that runs north from Hilo to Waimea and Kohala and back south to Kona. It was a rematch after Inouye lost by less than 1 percent of the vote to Solomon in 2012.

As the , Inouye received less money than Solomon in the 2014 election聽but spent more. The result is that Inouye spent $10.49 per vote to win while Solomon spent $23.25 but lost.

Inouye faced Libertarian Alain Schiller in the general election. In that contest, Schiller spent a mere 31 cents per vote yet still managed to pick up 20 percent to Inouye鈥檚 72 percent.

Another聽Senate race to look at in 2014 was Roz Baker鈥檚 in South and West Maui.

Newly elected Senate President Donald Kouchi after moments after the senate recessed. 5 may 2015. phorograph Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Senate President Ron Kouchi’s re-election campaign is well-funded. Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Baker, a longtime incumbent, far outraised and outspent Democrat Terez Amato in the primary and Republican Pika DuBois and Libertarian Bronson Kaahui in the general. In total, that election year.

And yet Amato, who spent $17.36 per vote, managed to pull in 43 percent of the primary to Baker鈥檚 52 percent. Amato ran on a platform that targeted Baker on the environment and “the interests of corporations.”

And DuBois, who spent just 2 cents per vote (amazingly, he received only $51 in contributions and sent $50), took nearly one-fourth of the general election vote.

To be sure, Baker won the general in a landslide and the primary could hardly be called close. But it does suggest that even candidates who are not聽loaded聽with cash from major donors聽can still make a dent in the electorate.

There up for election this year.

They include the Hilo seat held by the late Gil Kahele. His son, Kai Kahele, was appointed by Gov. David Ige last week to take the seat, but there will be an election to fill the reminder of the term, which expires in 2018.

Senator/Candidate Amount raised (Nov. 5, 2014-Dec. 31, 2015) Cash on hand Running in 2016
Green, Josh $72,150.00 $515,827.52 No
Kim, Donna $56,745.00 $245,105.13 Yes
Dela Cruz, Donovan $44,901.36 $244,818.50 Yes
Kouchi, Ron $48,089.99 $108,514.79 Yes
Gabbard, Mike $2,100.00 $81,774.01 Yes
Kidani, Michelle $63,469.62 $79,627.59 No
Baker, Rosalyn $38,293.20 $69,800.23 No
Tokuda, Jill $21,600.00 $62,131.95 No
English, Kalani $43,209.99 $48,489.28 No
Taniguchi, Brian $15,115.00 $45,110.36 Yes
Shimabukuro, Maile $9,945.00 $44,771.74 No
Galuteria, Brickwood $12,951.01 $41,797.99 No
Espero, William $13,500.00 $41,732.51 Yes
Nishihara, Clarence $10,000.00 $37,829.96 No
Keith-Agaran, Gilbert $35,844.74 $33,440.26 Yes
Ruderman, Russell $4,013.07 $31,173.38 Yes
Kahele, Gilbert $22,250.00 $25,349.15 Deceased
Ihara, Les $5,150.00 $22,119.51 听驰别蝉
Slom, Sam $3,250.00 $18,779.77 Yes
Wakai, Glenn $25,026.01 $16,053.97 Yes
Harimoto, Breene $6,595.00 $14,471.23 No
Inouye, Lorraine $13,100.00 $8,250.57 No
Thielen, Laura $1,150.00 $7,181.67 Yes
Riviere, Gil $4,595.00 $6,778.10 No
Chun Oakland, Suzanne $650.00 $600.02 Yes

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