Hirono rout casts doubt on Lingle's viability

http://www.staradvertiser.com/s?action=login&f=y&id=177814121


By Derrick DePledge



FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARADVERTISER.COM
Mazie Hirono gives her victory speech at the democratic headquarters in the JCCH Ballroom.

U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono's landslide victory over former Gov. Linda Lingle for U.S. Senate was built on a coordinated get-out-the-vote campaign by Democrats that exceeded expectations.

Hirono was favored by a double-digit margin in the Hawaii Poll and other public opinion surveys before the election, but her 62 percent-to-37 percent rout on Tuesday night was far more sweeping than political analysts predicted. The Democrat won in 50 of the 51 state House districts, dropping only the district in the predominantly Mormon Laie region where former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate, performed well.

Democrats identified about 70,000 infrequent voters statewide who would likely be open to voting for Hirono. Andy Winer, a Democratic strategist, said these voters received multiple mailers and telephone calls. Thousands also received personal visits by activists at their homes.

"We pushed them pretty hard. We really went hard after the infrequent voting Democrats," he said. "This particular effort was probably the most coordinated and focused get-out-the-vote campaign that we've ever had."

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YEP!