Kirk Caldwell Prepares To Join The Race For Hawaii Governor
The former Honolulu mayor has yet to formally announce, but he has a campaign website and is holding a big fundraiser next week.
While he has yet to make it official, Kirk Caldwell is actively raising money to campaign to be governor of Hawaii.
He has scheduled a 鈥淔ood, Friends, & Our Future鈥 livestream event for Nov. 3, billed as 鈥渢he first major event of Kirk鈥檚 run for governor.鈥
The notice for the fundraiser was emailed from FriendsOfKirkCaldwell2022@gmail.com.
Asked for comment Tuesday, Caldwell said, 鈥淚 am preparing to run for governor. I have been on the neighbor islands putting together campaign organizations, putting the infrastructure together to run a statewide campaign. I am doing all the things that I think someone running for governor needs to do, but we have not set a formal announcement yet. We will make that when we are ready.鈥
There is also headlined 鈥淜irk Caldwell for Governor,鈥 paid for by 2021 Friends of Kirk Caldwell. While there was little posted on the site as of Tuesday morning, it did say this:
鈥淭he greatest satisfaction of serving as Mayor was the opportunity to improve the everyday lives of people on Oahu every single day. As Governor, I will take decisive action to address both new and long-standing challenges we face across the Islands. We cannot lose what has made Hawaii special. We need to provide more equity for all our citizens, in education, economic opportunities, transportation, and housing.鈥
Lauren Wright, the contact for the fundraiser, works for Imanaka Asato, a law firm run by Mitchell Imanaka, who as recently as July was in charge of for governor.
Caldwell, who served in the Hawaii House of Representatives and was mayor from 2013 to January, has not been shy about expressing interest in the governorship. He shortly after completing his second and final term that he was 鈥渟eriously鈥 looking at a run.
But he has struggled to raise campaign cash, trailing Lt. Gov. Josh Green, who has all but declared his intention to run for governor. Former First Lady Vicky Cayetano declared her candidacy in late August.
Caldwell has struggled in the polls, too. A May 2021 Civil Beat survey found that he was far less admired than Green.
The fundraising event is a twofer: The Nov. 3 virtual event featuring Caldwell, 鈥渟pecial guests鈥 and entertainment; and a 鈥済ourmet meal鈥 at 鈥渙ne of the islands鈥 finest restaurants鈥 on a future date of the donors鈥 choosing.
The virtual event is asking for as much as $24,000 a table at the virtual event, 鈥減lus a very special dinner with wine for eight鈥 at dining establishments such as Jade Dynasty and Roy鈥檚.
The promotional flier, which shows Caldwell wearing a blue palaka print, includes a synopsis of Caldwell鈥檚 life and political experience that says this:
鈥淢ost importantly, from the earliest threats of the pandemic Mayor Kirk Caldwell聽and his team responded to the challenge with courage and commitment,聽protecting community health, instituting rapid testing, feeding families in need,聽assisting small businesses, and effectively putting federal CARES funding to聽work. He left office prior to wide vaccine distribution, yet with Honolulu ranked as聽among the safest cities in the country.鈥
Cayetano 聽on Oct. 14, while Green held 聽on Monday.
The Hawaii primary is Aug. 13.
