Running mate says GOP candidate blocked her from debate

HONOLULU — The Republican candidate for Hawaii governor deliberately failed to tell her running mate that she had been invited to a televised debate, the GOP candidate for lieutenant governor said.

Marissa Kerns failed to attend the debate Monday while state Sen. Josh Green, the Democratic running mate for Gov. David Ige, did attend, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Tuesday.

Moderator Paula Akana had announced during the debate that Kerns never showed, but she had been invited and confirmed she would attend.

Andria Tupola said she did tell Kerns about the debate invite while they were at a campaign rally Sunday.

Kerns claims Tupola had accepted the invitation to the debate on her behalf without ever telling her about it.

“Not once did she mention it,” Kerns said.

Tupola also denied that allegation, saying she never accepted the invitation on Kerns’ behalf or indicated to the television station that Kerns would attend.

“I told her that there was a debate, and she kept insisting that she wasn’t invited, and I was like, ‘Nope, I’m pretty sure that KITV invited all of us,’” Tupola said of conversation they had at the campaign event in Kailua. “And she was like, ‘Nope, nope, it’s just for the governors.’ And I was like, ‘Nope, I think you got it wrong.’”

Kerns said she spoke to Tupola Monday night, asking how she was going to fix the matter.

“She knew she did this deliberately,” Kerns said.

The candidates had friction earlier in their campaign when Kerns had said that Tupola should apologize for her liberal voting record. The candidates have said they were working together.

“I tried to talk to her about it. She’s definitely a very headstrong, determined person,” Tupola said.