A date has finally been set for the special election to replace Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii: May 22. Abercrombie is running for governor, and his resignation leaves a vacancy in the district where Barack Obama was born and raised.
Normally, a Republican victory in this district would be as unlikely as, say, a Republican winning a Senate seat in Massachusetts. Which is why people are not dismissing the Republican operatives who insist that their candidate, Honolulu Councilman Charles Djou, has a serious chance.
The race will be decided by a plurality in a so-called “Jungle General Election” — in other words, candidates from all parties can run, and there is no regular primary to decide on party nominees. There are two credible Democratic candidates in the race: state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa and former Rep. Ed Case, who once represented Hawaii’s other district before attempting a failed statewide run.
If the two Democrats split the vote, Djou could win. His last FEC report shows $334,000 in cash, far more than either of the Democrats in the race. Voters will mail in their ballots during the first part of May.
http://www.wkrg.com/raw_news/article/senate_race_rife_with_attack_ads_in_past_week/751489/Feb-25-2010_2-15-pm/
