Denby Fawcett, KITV 4 News Reporter HONOLULU — Democratic Party Candidate Ed Case Monday pointed to the website of a national Republican group, Independent Women’s Voice, as proof he was hurt by $200,000 worth of negative ads geared to help Republican Charles Djou win.
The Independent Women’s Voice boasted on its website Monday that it “contributed to such an important victory for Republicans in President Obama’s backyard.”
IWV said its ads were tremendously important is swaying undecided voters away from Case and over to Djou.
Analysts also think the negative ads may have suppressed some Case voters by making them upset enough to stay away from the polls.
IWV’s ad called “the Case is Closed” questioned Case’s voting record as well as his campaign staff hires.
IWV’s website cites a study that said its negative TV commercial “helped draw away from Mr. Case among Democrats, Republicans and independents.”
Case said Monday negative advertising from the IWV as well as Djou himself swayed undecided votes away from him.
“I said all along I was the No. 1 threat to Charles Djou and he set our quite a while ago to attack me and tear me down and he succeeded and now those who participated in the ad are bragging about it. They were also saying I was leading in polls up until a few weeks before the election. They set out to focus their fire on me and they did that,” said Case.
In polls before the election, Djou was the frontrunner with Case second and Democrat Colleen Hanabusa trailing third.
But Saturday when mail-in and walk-in votes were counted, Hanabusa swept past Case to second place.
The negative ads against Case were on the air the last two weeks of the race.
“Their intention was to attack me when independent voters were trying to make up their minds. That is exactly why the attack ads came when they did,” said Case.
IWV president Heather Higgins said, “We are thrilled to have contributed to such an important victory for Republicans.”
Case and Hanabusa Monday were back on the campaign trail preparing for the fall primary and general Elections for the next full two year term for the 1st Congressional District seat.
Hawaii Democrats don’t intend to let Djou retain the seat. Djou is the first Republican in 20 years to be elected to a Hawaii congressional seat.
The seat was vacated in February when Democrat Neil Abercrombie stepped down to run for Hawaii governor.
Case said as he campaigns for September’s primary election he will keep stressing as he has all along that he’s the only one who can beat Charles Djou in the general election.
Hanabusa will campaign the same way she did in the special election by making use of organized groups of union workers, party insiders and grassroots volunteers.
“You know we intend to keep doing what we did before,” said Hanabusa.
Hanabusa said she is also depending support from Hawaii’s Sens. Dan Inouye and Daniel Akaka who endorsed her at the beginning of the special election.