It probably came a day later than it should have, but Honolulu mayoral candidate Ben Cayetano held a press conference Friday to respond to a recent federal court ruling about the city’s $5.26 billion rail project.

While Cayetano granted an interview to Civil Beat after the judge handed down his decision, the former Hawaii governor did not hold a press conference, which was somewhat unusual given the circumstances.

Not only is Cayetano the highest profile plaintiff in the case, but Mayor Peter Carlisle and mayoral candidate Kirk Caldwell also held pressers for all the local media to try to spin the judge’s decision in their pro-rail favor.

Cayetano’s relative silence Thursday was all the more glaring considering there are only a few more days before voters cast their votes in an election that could determine whether rail lives or dies.

So where was he?

During Friday’s press conference he explained he was in Kailua hosting a forum to discuss his alternative to rail. The logistics of getting on camera before the end of the news cycle just didn’t work out, he said, hence his decision to hold an event Friday.

As expected, Cayetano told reporters today that the ruling came out in his favor, and that it was disingenuous for city officials to say it was, in fact, a better ruling for them.

Not to be outdone, however, Carlisle decided to throw another impromptu press conference to denounce Cayetano’s attempt to spin the ruling in his favor. Caldwell also sent out a statement in response to the Cayetano event.

Nothing like trying to get the last word in the weekend before an election, huh?

—Nick Grube