Chili Isn’t Enough: Hawaiʻi Candidate Lures Voters With TV, Vegas Trip
The prizes, promoted in a Micah Aiu mailer for a campaign rally, could violate campaign spending laws.
Free chili and rice are commonplace at campaign events in Hawaiʻi, an inexpensive, local-style way to show support for the folks who show up.
At a rally scheduled for Sunday in Oʻahu, a candidate for the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives is enticing potential voters with more lucrative attractions: a free 55-inch Samsung television and a roundtrip airfare to Las Vegas.
Micah Aiu, a Democrat seeking to regain his House District 32 seat (Fort Shafter, Moanalua, Āliamanu, Foster Village, portions of ‘Aiea and Hālawa), promotes the prizes in a mailer sent to area voters.
In addition to the chili and rice and a “complementary bag of local produce,” attendees at the rally Sunday evening at Moanalua Middle School can participate in a drawing for the TV (“Crystal UHD”) and the roundtrip on Southwest.
“Must be present to win,” the mailer states.
It’s paid for by Friends of Micah Aiu, which, according to Aiu, is using his campaign funds to pay for the prizes. He dismissed any concern that the mailer gives the appearance of trying to buy votes.
“What do you mean by appearance?” he said Thursday. “You can come and get free produce because I support farmers, and you can come and learn a little bit about me, and there’ll be food that’s offered there. It’s just a way to get people to be engaged and come out and meet me.”
Others, however, say the prize offers cross a bright line.
Rep. Garner Shimizu, the Republican incumbent in the race, who defeated Aiu two years ago, said the mailer raises ethical concerns.
“It was kind of surreal and kind of out of place,” said Shimizu, who heard about the mailer from a friend. “We are supposed to be honorable. I felt like it was inappropriate.”
Kristin Izumi-Nitao, the executive director of the Hawaiʻi Campaign Spending Commission, said her office is aware of the mailer and is looking into it.
“The Campaign Spending Commission was recently made aware of the talk story event that will take place this weekend for Micah Aiu,” Izumi-Nitao said in an email.
“We note that this event has not occurred yet, Mr. Aiu has not contacted our office, and a review of his current campaign finance reports do not show expenses such as the purchase of a TV or a round-trip airfare to Las Vegas. If campaign funds were used to purchase these items for a door prize drawing, we believe that it could be a violation of the use of campaign funds.”
State law permits campaign funds to be used for expenses that are “predominantly and directly related” to a candidate’s campaign to influence the nomination or election of the candidate.
It includes airfare and hotel accommodations, meal or food expenses incurred at a fund-raising event or other campaign activity, and personal gifts for campaign employees or volunteers.
Regulations also allow other uses of funds not directly tied to campaigns such as making donations to public schools and public libraries. The money can be used as well to purchase two tickets for an event held by another candidate or committee, and to donate to the candidate’s own party.
This is the third consecutive race between Aiu and Shimizu, who unseated Aiu in 2024 by just 78 votes.
Both candidates say they prefer to focus on their respective campaigns rather than engage in attacks. But Shimizu has complained to the Campaign Spending Commission and Hawaiʻi State Ethics Commission this year about Aiu using the title “Rep. Micah Aiu” in promotional materials, even though he is currently out of office, as well as using the official logo for Moanalua High School.
“I have heard that he is trying to buy votes,” said Shimizu, who declined to make that charge himself.
For his part, Aiu texted Civil Beat a promo for a giveaway contest from the Shimizu campaign in 2024 that promised a free Maya Necklace (“freshwater pearls with 14k gold filled bar chain”). The retail price was listed as $95.
Shimizu defended the giveaway, saying the necklace was an in-kind donation from a local business supporter for a “traditional social media giveaway to help raise campaign awareness.”
Aiu said the TV and tickets giveaway is all about raising awareness of his candidacy.
“I’m looking forward to people coming out and learning a little bit more about me,” he said. “I’ve gone door to door to everyone’s home twice already. There’s still a substantial number of people that I have not been able to talk to, so this is just another venue for people to meet me and be engaged in the process.”
“And so I’m really hopeful that a lot of people come out, and if coming and getting free produce or being eligible to win a prize is way to get people out, then that’s what I’m trying to do,” he added. “I’m trying to get people to come out to an event I’m having and learn more about me and my candidacy, and I think that’s important.”
