HILO — Mayor Billy Kenoi was bobbing in a blue and white sea of county employees, supporters and union leaders Friday evening, but it was Kenoi the candidate, not Kenoi the boss, whom everyone came out to see.
Kenoi opened his campaign headquarters on Kalanianaole Avenue just across from Banyan Drive with hundreds of people cheering, music from Sean Naauao and a fragrant spread of kalua pig, sushi and sweets. The expansive headquarters is on property owned by the Gas Co. Ltd. of Honoluu and furnished, Kenoi said, with “stuff from (supporters’) living rooms.”
“It’s very humbling, and I mean that, to see people taking their time, taking their money, giving so much, and they’re trusting you to do good for the people of this island,” Kenoi said to a cheering crowd.
The mayor said he is currently finalizing his Kona headquarters and will be holding a grand opening there in about two weeks.
His speech was low-key, primarily focusing on the list of accomplishments he’s repeated at every public event this year.
Kenoi is being challenged for the mayorship by County Council Chairman Dominic Yagong. It’s a lopsided race as far as money is concerned — Kenoi had accumulated a $333,733 war chest to Yagong’s $2,057 as of the last fiing deadline of Dec. 31. It’s not known when or where Yagong will be opening a campaign headquarters.
The two share the ballot for the nonpartisan mayoral race in the Aug. 11 primary.
Kenoi said his term has gone by quickly and he credited his staff with making things happen in a tough economy.
He’s recycled his old slogan, “Together we can,” as well as the T-shirt and bumper sticker designs from his first campaign.
The mood remained appreciative throughout the evening as Kenoi pumped the crowd and posed for photos.
Said son, Liam, when asked how he likes his dad as mayor and whether the job kept him too busy for his family, Liam replied, “He sets time aside for us.”
