HONOLULU — Democratic Gov. David Ige and Republican state Rep. Andria Tupola have agreed to a televised debate shortly before the general election, but Tupola wants Ige to commit to a “six-island debate.”
KITV News Director Mike Darrah said the hour-long debate will be held at 9 p.m. Oct. 29, and will feature analysis afterward by former Republican Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona and state Rep. Beth Fukumoto, (D, Mililani-Mililani Mauka-Waipio Acres).
That debate late in the election cycle means many people will already have mailed in their ballots by the time the event airs. The general election will be on Nov. 6, but mail-in absentee ballots will be distributed to voters in mid-October.
Tupola said in emailed statements that Ige declined invitations for televised debates on Oct. 7 and Oct. 14, and also declined events proposed for public television and by the University of Hawaii at Manoa newspaper, Ka Leo O Hawaii.
The Ige campaign said discussions are continuing on the possibility of one or more additional televised debates.
“We fully understand Andria’s requests to debate, and we have demonstrated our commitment to do just that with KITV,” said Glenna Wong, communications director for Ige’s campaign. “Our campaign is working with other media and will determine whether any of them work with Gov. Ige’s schedule.”
High-profile debates generally benefit lesser-known candidates by giving them public exposure, and it is a common election tactic for well-known incumbents to avoid them.
Ige is seeking a second four-year term as governor, and is better known than Tupola, (R, Kalaeloa-Ko Olina-Maili).
A Honolulu Star-Advertiser Hawaii Poll in March found that 57 percent of voters surveyed didn’t know who Tupola was, but she raised her profile in the weeks that followed. A poll in July found that only 28 percent of voters surveyed said they did not know who she was.
Tupola, who is the state House minority leader, said in a written statement that “thanks to the efforts and pressure from the people of Hawaii, the governor has finally consented to do one
debate. I challenged him to a six island debate because each county and community is distinct and different and our solutions should be thoughtful to each area’s needs.
“With zero new Hawaiian Homes built last year, zero licensed behavioral analysts in the (Department of Education), zero extra payments to the unfunded liability, no specific steps towards addressing illegal vacation rentals, the people of Hawaii deserve to hear what the plan will be for the next four years from both candidates,” Tupola wrote.
Wong said in a statement that “in the interest of time before the general election, governor is fulfilling his promise to reach voters throughout the state, including students, seniors, ethnic and community groups.
We believe there is more than one communication style or format that works for candidates and we are moving forward vigorously with a diverse outreach program to reach all voters, not just the ones who watch television.”