Super PACS Spent $175K In City Council Rematch
The money was used to oppose Trevor Ozawa and support Tommy Waters.
The Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission has crunched the numbers on the special election in April for the Honolulu City Council District 4 seat.
Tommy Waters, who defeated Trevor Ozawa 51.4% to 48.5%, out-raised Ozawa $310,481 to $227,051 and outspent him $268,216 to $232,953.
That was in contrast, the commission said , to the 2018 general election between them. In that race, Ozawa out-raised Waters by a 3 to 1 ratio and outspent him by a 2.5 to 1 ratio.
Because of legal challenge over counting ballots in the general election, a rematch was ordered.
Two super political action committees were involved in the April contest. Super PACS can take and spend unlimited amounts of money from corporations, unions and people but can not contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates.
The commission newsletter observes, “Of particular interest is the activity of the super PACs who supported/opposed these candidates during the 2019 special election.”
AiKea spent $130,150 to oppose Ozawa while AiKea and the United Public Workers spent a combined $44,764 to support Waters.
The UPW is an influential blue-collar union while AiKea is the political arm of Unite Here Local 5, a union that primarily represents hotel workers.
Click here of the Waters-Ozawa races.
