2010 Hawaii gubernatorial election explained

The 2010 Hawaii gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2010, to elect the next governor and lieutenant governor of Hawaii. Incumbent Republican governor Linda Lingle was term-limited and not eligible to run for re-election. The Democratic Party nominated Neil Abercrombie, and the Republican Party nominated incumbent lieutenant governor Duke Aiona. In the election, Abercrombie won and was sworn in as the state's 7th governor on December 6, 2010.^[1] Aiona later unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Hawaii in 2014 and 2022.

As of 2023, this was the last time the Republican candidate for governor received over 40% of the vote in Hawaii.

This marked the first time since the 1966 election that both the governor and lieutenant governor of Hawaii were white.

Primary results

Democratic

• Neil Abercrombie, former U.S. representative and candidate for U.S. Senate in 1970^[2]
• Mufi Hannemann, former Mayor of Honolulu, nominee for HI-01 in 1986, and candidate in 1990^[3]
• Arturo P. (Art) Reyes
• Miles Shiratori
• Van K. Tanabe

Polling

width='190'	Poll source	width='130'	Dates administered	width='100'	Neil Abercrombie	width='100'	Mufi Hannemann	width='100'	Undecided
Honolulu Star-Advertiser[4]	August 10–17, 2010	align=center	49%	44%	8%
Mason Dixon[5]	January 8–12, 2010	align=center	37%	34%	29%
Research 2000[6]	June 15–17, 2009	align=center	42%	22%	36%

Republican

• Duke Aiona, Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii^[7]
• John Carroll, former state senator and representative

Non-partisan

• Tony Clapes
• Paul Manner
• Thomas (Tom) W. Pollard, critical care Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine^[8]

Free Energy Party

• Daniel H. Cunningham

Lieutenant governor primary

Eleven candidates ran for their political parties' nominations in the lieutenant governor primary election on September 18: seven Democrats, two Republicans, one independent, and one Free Energy Party candidate.^[1]

Democratic Party

• Lyla Berg, 59, Hawaiian state representative first elected in 2004 to represent the Kāhala area; former teacher and principal^[1]
• Robert Bunda, 63, state legislator since 1983: state representative from 1983 until 1994 and senator from 1994 until 2010;^[1] president of the Hawaii Senate for five years. Resigned from office to run for lieutenant governor.^[1]
• Steve Hirakami, 64, principal of a charter school in Pahoa, on the Big Island of Hawai'i^[1]
• Gary Hooser, 56, former state senator from Kauai. Campaign based largely on support of civil unions.^[1]
• Jon Riki Karamatsu, 35, state legislator first elected in 2002 to represent the Waipahu area; chairman of the state House Judiciary Committee^[1]
• Norman Sakamoto, 63, sitting state senator first elected in 1996 to represent the Kalihi, Salt Lake, and Pearl Ridge neighborhoods of Honolulu; chairman of the state Senate Education and Housing Committee; opponent of civil unions^[1]
• Brian Schatz, 37, former state legislator and former chairman of the Hawaiian Democratic Party. Resident of Honolulu.^[1]

Republican Party

• Lynn Finnegan, 39, state legislator since 2002; Republican leader in the State House since 2005. Resident of Aiea, Hawaii.^[1]
• Adrienne King, 62, lawyer for more than thirty years. Resident of Honolulu,^[1] daughter-in-law to judge Samuel Pailthorpe King.^[9]

Free Energy Party

• Deborah Spence, no age provided, campaigns for the revival of hemp, which she calls the "most utilitarian plant", for use as a cellulose and biofuel. Resident of Hilo.^[1]

Independent

• Leonard Kama, 67, retired security guard and deckhand campaigning on education and a reduction of homelessness. Resident of Kapolei.^[1]

General election

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
Cook Political Report[10]		October 14, 2010
Rothenberg[11]		October 28, 2010
RealClearPolitics[12]		November 1, 2010
Sabato's Crystal Ball[13]		October 28, 2010
CQ Politics[14]		October 28, 2010

Polling

width='190'	Poll source	width='130'	Dates administered	width='100'	Neil	width='100'	Duke Aiona (R)
Public Policy Polling[15]	October 2–3, 2010	align=center	49%	47%
Honolulu Star-Advertiser[16]	August 10–17, 2010	align=center	53%	41%
Rasmussen Reports[17]	June 24, 2010	align=center	58%	32%
Rasmussen Reports[18]	March 24, 2010	align=center	54%	31%
Mason Dixon	January 8–12, 2010	align=center	43%	34%
Research 2000	June 15–17, 2009	align=center	45%	36%

Candidates

• Neil Abercrombie (D)
  • Abercrombie's running mate was former state Democratic Party chairman Brian Schatz
• Duke Aiona (R)
  • Aiona's running mate was State Rep. Lynn Finnegan
• Daniel Cunningham (FE)
  • Cunningham's running mate was Deborah Spence
• Tom Pollard (I)
  • Pollard's running mate was Leonard Kama

Results

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Hawaii (largest community: Hilo)
• Honolulu
• Kalawao (largest community: Kalaupapa)
• Kauai (largest community: Kapa'a)
• Maui (largest community: Kahului)

See also

• 2010 United States gubernatorial elections

External links

• Hawaii Office of Elections
  • Hawaii Governor Candidates at Project Vote Smart Campaign contributions for 2010 Hawaii Governor from Follow the Money
• 2010 Hawaii Gubernatorial General Election graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
• Election 2010: Hawaii Governor from Rasmussen Reports
• 2010 Hawaii Governor Race from Real Clear Politics
• 2010 Hawaii Governor's Race from CQ Politics
• Race Profile in The New York Times

Official campaign websites (Archived)

• Neil Abercrombie
• Duke Aiona
• Mufi Hannemann

Notes and References

1. News: Herbert A.. Sample. 11 vying for Hawaii's second highest post. Associated Press. Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 2010-09-15. 2010-09-17. May 24, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150524130108/http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/102957199.html. dead.
2. News: Abercrombie kicks off run for governor. The Honolulu Advertiser. Derrick. DePledge. March 9, 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090313012732/http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090309/NEWS03/903090317/1001. March 13, 2009.
3. News: Off and running; Gubernatorial hopefuls punch, counterpunch as the state's election filing deadline passes . Derrick . DePledge . July 21, 2010. . 2013-02-09.
4. http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100822_Abercrombie_has_edge.html Honolulu Star-Advertiser
5. http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20100118_abercrombie_in_slight_lead_for_governor.html Mason Dixon
6. http://www.dailykos.com/statepoll/2009/6/17/HI/311/ Research 2000
7. http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090204/BREAKING01/90204035/-1 Aiona leads money race for 2010 governor's seat
8. Web site: Physician Profile on Dr. Thomas Pollard . HealthGrades web site . December 3, 2010 .
9. Web site: About Adrienne . Adrienne King Lieutenant Governor web site . December 9, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110707084438/http://adriennesking.com/page/about-adrienne . July 7, 2011 . dead . mdy-all .
10. Web site: 2010 Governors Race Ratings . https://web.archive.org/web/20101028141343/http://cookpolitical.com/charts/governors/raceratings_2010-10-14_12-35-09.php . dead . October 28, 2010 . . October 28, 2010.
11. Web site: Governor Ratings . . October 28, 2010.
12. Web site: 2010 Governor Races . . October 28, 2010.
13. Web site: THE CRYSTAL BALL'S FINAL CALLS . . October 28, 2010.
14. Web site: Race Ratings Chart: Governor . . October 28, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101005231611/http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=ratings-governor . October 5, 2010 .
15. http://www.dailykos.com/polling/2010/10/2/HI/10/uMymt Public Policy Polling
16. http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100824_Aiona_trails_Democratic_contenders.html Honolulu Star-Advertiser
17. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_governor_elections/hawaii/toplines/toplines_hawaii_governor_june_24_2010/ Rasmussen Reports
18. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_governor_elections/hawaii/election_2010_hawaii_governor Rasmussen Reports