Caldwell endorses abercrombie 01small

Caldwell endorses Abercrombie

The mayor of Honolulu County bases his endorsement on his close working relationship with the governor.

Will Caron

Yesterday, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced his endorsement of Governor Neil Abercrombie for re-election at a news conference on the lawn between City Hall and the State Capitol. The mayor cited his close working relationship with the governor as a major help in getting city and county work done quickly and efficiently, and the reason for his endorsement.

“Close partnership between the city and the state has enabled us to make significant progress in numerous sectors, from transportation to housing,” said Mayor Caldwell. “The relationship between the governor’s office and the mayor’s office has never been better. I’m proud to endorse Governor Abercrombie for re-election. Ultimately, this is about getting the job done for the benefit of the nearly 1 million people on O‘ahu and also for our state as a whole. The governor and I may have different styles, but we also have this in common: we work hard and care deeply about the city of Honolulu and our state. I trust the relationship and our good work together is founded on those values.”

“I am honored to have the support of Mayor Caldwell,” said Governor Abercrombie. “Having worked on the city council before, I empathize and I know the importance of collaboration between the state and the counties.”

When asked if his endorsement was primarily symbolic, or if it meant that the mayor’s own fundraising apparatus would help raise money for the governor’s campaign, Mayor Caldwell said that he and the governor had not discussed fundraising yet, but that if there was an opportunity to help out, he would do what he could.