The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has a new TV ad in the Hawaii First District special election, attacking Republican candidate Charles Djou.
“First, we learned Charles Djou supported tax breaks for big corporations who export our jobs and children’s future,” the announcer says. “Now we learn Djou opposed a plan that protected the plans of 2,000 Hawaii teachers and school staff.”
President Obama carried this district with 70% of the vote, but the Dems could be in real danger of losing it, at least for a few months until this coming regular November election, due to a split Democratic vote.
Hawaii special elections for the House do not function according to the usual rules in other states, where candidates either compete in separate party primaries, or the parties select their candidates through an internal party committee process. Instead, a single-round election is held in which all the candidates appear together on one ballot, and the plurality-winner takes the whole thing. The election will be conducted entirely by mail, and will end on May 22.
A recent Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll gave Djou a lead with just 32% of the vote, followed by Democratic former Rep. Ed Case at 29% — and another Democrat, state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, with 28%.
