New Union-Backed Super PAC Is Supporting Scott Saiki In House Race
Spending by political action groups is way down this year with a dearth of competitive races.
A new super PAC with funding from one of Hawaii鈥檚 largest public sector unions is giving a small advertising boost to House Speaker Scott Saiki鈥檚 reelection bid.
Building a Brighter Future, which registered July 29, is funded by the Hawaii Government Employees Association, the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly and the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Local 675.
Each union donated about $5,000 to the new PAC, according to its chairperson Emmanuel Zibakalam. But the group has only spent about $4,000 so far on advertising supporting Saiki. Zibakalam said Saiki is currently the only candidate the group is backing.
Super PACs, known as independent expenditure committees in Hawaii, are allowed to receive unlimited donations and spend as much as they want supporting or opposing candidates as long as they don鈥檛 coordinate with their campaigns.
But they don鈥檛 appear to be spending much this year.
Super PACs are running fewer ads and spending less in Hawaii compared to four years ago, when several groups waded into races for Honolulu mayor, City Council and legislative races. There are fewer candidates running this year compared to 2020.
Building a Bright Future is the only super PAC running ads for candidates so far this year.
Be Change Now, the state鈥檚 largest super PAC funded by contractors who do business under agreements with the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters, transferred $7 million to the Hawaii Carpenters Market Recovery Program Fund.
Money is typically funneled through that fund to the super PAC, but offloading the cash is likely a sign that the super PAC doesn鈥檛 plan to spend much this year on races. It has just over $500,000 on hand now.
The spent just over $3,000 on ads supporting Saiki. It also paid $3,000 for ads supporting Ken Inouye, who is challenging Rep. Trish La Chica for the Democratic nomination to a Mililani House seat. The Planned Parenthood PAC also spent $68 on digital ads for Sen. Lorraine Inouye, who is running against Laura Acasio for a Hilo Senate seat.
The other 14 super PACs registered with the state reported spending no money to influence elections between Jan. 1 and July 26 of this year.
Two super PACs spending reports this week because they don鈥檛 intend to spend more than $1,000 during elections this year. They include the Our Hawaii PAC, and the new Poola PAC.
The Our Hawaii PAC is funded by the nonprofit Our Hawaii, created by Evan Weber and former state legislator Kaniela Ing. A separate Our Hawaii PAC that coordinates with campaigns spent about $45 on in-kind advertisement donations to Natalia Hussey-Burdick, Amy Perusso and Tina Grandinetti.
The Poola PAC just registered in March. The group’s chairperson and treasurer are officers of the local chapter of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union鈥檚 Longshore Division.
Poola, literally “sun head,” is also a Hawaiian word for stevedore.
Other political groups spending money this year include the Huli PAC, which is backing a .
The Patsy T. Mink PAC spent about $3,500 on mailers for Tina Grandinetti, who is in a crowded race for an East Honolulu House seat.
And the General Contractors Association of Hawaii spent just over $10,000 on newspaper ads endorsing a , mostly incumbents, including mayors Rick Blangiardi and Mitch Roth.
This story was supported with funding from the Data-Driven Reporting Project. The Data-Driven Reporting Project is funded by the Google News Initiative in partnership with Northwestern University | Medill.
