Hirono Campaign Has $558K

By Nick Grube / July 25, 2016

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono isn’t up for election until 2018, but she continues to add more cash to her campaign coffers.

Hirono raised $111,352 from April 1 to June 30, according the latest reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Senator Mazie Hirono receives a kiss/hug from Congresswoman Gabbard before ceremonies opening a new MV22 Osprey hangar at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. 19 july 2016

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono gets an aloha kiss from U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, left, who many believe will challenge Hirono in 2018.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

She only spent $48,711 during the same time period, leaving her with $558,715 in cash on hand.

FEC Report	Total Receipts	Total Disbursements	Cash on Hand
July 2016	$111,412	$48,711	$558,715
April 2016	$29,943	$41,680	$496,015
January 2016	$184,248	$73,246	$507,752
October 2015	$115,837	$35,854	$396,749
July 2015	$75,631	$48,229	$316,766
April 2015	$140,544	$58,933	$289,364

It’s likely Hirono will need a lot more cash in the coming years. Many political observers expect U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to challenge Hirono in 2018.

Gabbard’s war chest has a positive balance of $1,883,357, according to the latest data. It’s only expected to grow.

In fact, FEC filings show that from April 1 to June 30, Gabbard took in $420,917 in total receipts.

That’s second only to U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, who has been the Hawaii delegation’s most prolific campaign fundraiser.

Gabbard hasn’t faced a serious challenger since she was first elected to Congress in 2012. That’s allowed her to sock away a lot of cash for a future run at higher office.

And just this weekend she made an odd plea for more money, saying in a campaign email that she was facing “multiple opponents who are twisting my record in an attempt to win voters. I need your help to defeat them.”

FEC Report	Total Receipts	Total Disbursements	Cash on Hand
July 2016	$420,917	$148,147	$1,883,357
April 2016	$143,359	$75,664	$1,610,587
January 2016	$199,987	$101,923	$1,542,891
October 2015	$234,206	$76,714	$1,444,827
July 2015	$236,262	$98,599	$1,287,335
April 2015	$147,590	$78,717	$1,149,672

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About the Author

Nick Grube

Nick Grube is a reporter for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at nick@civilbeat.org or follow him on Twitter at @nickgrube. You can also reach him by phone at 808-377-0246.

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