State Capital Strategies
Friday, Sept. 4, 1998

Maui mayor and gubernatorial candidate Linda Lingle (R) raised more than twice as much money as incumbent Gov. Ben Cayetano (D) between Jan. 1 and Aug. 20, according to new campaign spending reports. But Cayetano, who is seeking a second four-year term, still has more than $2 million in his campaign bank account, compared with Lingle's $517,000. Lingle, who also leads in the polls, reported raising $1,473,127 and spending $1.2 million. Cayetano reported taking in $632,592 during the same period and spending $871,759. Former longtime Honolulu mayor Frank Fasi, who faces Lingle in the Sept. 19 Republican primary, reported raising $41,935 in donations and $227,128 in loans from himself or family.
• Elections Guide: Hawaii races (washingtonpost.com)

California: Gray Leads Lungren in Governor's Race

The latest California Field Poll shows Lt. Gov. Gray Davis (D) with a 12-point lead over Attorney General Dan Lungren (R) in the gubernatorial race. Forty-nine percent of respondents said they support Davis, while 37 percent said they support Lungren. But history has demonstrated that early polling data can be irrelevant. For example, Kathleen Brown (D) enjoyed a 20-point lead over eventual winner Pete Wilson (R) one month before the 1994 election. Since there are more registered Democrats in California, Democratic candidates tend to do better in early polls. Nonetheless, Davis has watched his lead build rather than dwindle.
• Key Race: California Governor (washingtonpost.com)

Delaware: Candidates Positioning Themselves for 2000

A number of candidates are maneuvering into position for the 2000 gubernatorial race, when term-limited Gov. Tom Carper (D) will be unable to run again. Attorney General Jane Brady, who is expected to easily win reelection this year, is the acknowledged Republican front-runner, though she has not confirmed her whether she plans to run. State Chamber of Commerce President John Burris, a former Republican state representative, will decide whether to run in January. Meanwhile, two other Republicans, Dennis Rockford, who ran an unsuccessful bid for lieutenant governor, and Speaker of the House Terry Spence, are putting together campaign organizations.

The likely Democratic front-runner is Lt. Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, an insider in Delaware government. Minner has been building her organization for more than a year and collecting support from Democratic leaders to discourage potential primary opponents. Sources say the only speculation about possible opponents focuses on former state Democratic Party chief Gary Hindes and New Castle County Chief Executive Tom Gordon. Both are ambitious, but appear reluctant to take on Minner.
• Elections Guide: Delaware races (washingtonpost.com)

Nebraska: Governor's Race Takes to the Road

The governor's race has moved from the headlines to the highways as both candidates have hit the road to campaign. Lincoln Mayor Mike Johanns, the Republican candidate, has apparently remained untarnished by an intra-party flap between moderates and Christian conservatives. The public feud between the factions, which has faded into the background, reverberated for more than two weeks following the state GOP convention.

Even conservative candidates have vowed to support moderates in the election, including Johanns. Democratic nominee Bill Hoppner has implied that Johanns exhibited poor leadership by changing his position on a major petition initiative. Although both candidates now oppose the business-led initiative to put a lid on government spending, Hoppner continues to challenge Johanns' credibility as a public sector leader.
• Elections Guide: Nebraska races (washingtonpost.com)

New Hampshire: Low Turnout Projected in Sept. 8 Primary

With the Sept. 8 primary just one week away, the New Hampshire secretary of state has predicted a record low turnout for statewide voter participation. Only the governor's race is on the ballot, with Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D) seeking reelection to the two-year term. Five Republican candidates are battling for the opportunity to face her in November. New London consultant Jay Lucas and Hanover Republican Sen. Jim Rubens are considered front-runners for the GOP nomination; Lucas unveiled a stinging attack ad against Rubens last week.
• Elections Guide: New Hampshire races (washingtonpost.com)

New Mexico: Tribes Back GOP Incumbent Johnson

New Mexico's Indian tribes who run gaming operations have lined up behind Republican Gov. Gary Johnson to offer support and money. The tribes see Johnson's Democratic opponent, Martin Chávez, as an enemy of Indian gaming. Johnson has supported Indian gaming and signed the original gaming compacts with the tribes during his first year in office.
• Key Race: New Mexico Governor (washingtonpost.com)

Ohio: State Rep Steps Down to Recover From Illness

State Rep. Frank Sawyer (D), an eight-term House member from north central Ohio, resigned his seat to recover from a brain aneurysm he suffered in mid-February. The ranking Democrat on the House public utilities committee, Sawyer is also a member of the rules and health committee and the retirement and aging committee. William Hartnett, who recently retired as an administrator of a local community college, is expected to replace Sawyer on the November ballot. Hartnett, former president of the Mansifield-Richland County Chamber of Commerce, served as a school superintendent in the 1980s.

Oregon: Sizemore Struggles with Staff Woes

Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Sizemore continues to fend off suggestions that the resignation of yet another staff member signals serious trouble for his campaign, describing his fund-raiser's departure as a bump in the road. Two Sizemore campaign managers have quit in recent months. And his campaign continues to recover from revelations that surfaced before the May primary that he still owed hundreds of thousands of dollars to investors in his failed business ventures.
• Elections Guide: Oregon races (washingtonpost.com)

Pennsylvania: Gov. Ridge Holds Commanding Lead

A recent poll conducted by Millersvile University shows Republican Gov. Tom Ridge leading Democratic challenger Ivan Itkin by a staggering margin: 60 to 14 percent. A survey commissioned by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette showed nearly identical results, though it indicated that Peg Luksik, representing her self-styled Constitutional Party, would capture 14 percent of the vote in the gubernatorial race. Her numbers should have little real impact in the governor's race, but could be a factor in legislative races.
• Elections Guide: Pennsylvania races (washingtonpost.com)