Carpenters union-backed PAC pours nearly $5M into primary campaigns

News admin August 3, 2026 0 Comments

Carpenters union-backed PAC pours nearly $5M into primary campaigns

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – New campaign spending reports show the influential political action committee affiliated with Pacific Resource Partnership (PRP) spent about $4.7 million on local races during the primary election cycle.

According to reports filed with the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission, PRP’s non-candidate committee, “For A Better Tomorrow,” disbursed more than $2 million to support Derek Kawakami in his bid for lieutenant governor.

The super PAC also spent more than $183,000 in support of Yuki Lei Sugimura’s campaign for Maui mayor, and more than $118,000 supporting Bernard Carvalho’s run for Kauai mayor.

It also directed funding toward the following legislative candidates:

Hawaii State Senate

Hawaii State House of Representatives

The totals reflect independent expenditures from Jan. 1 through July 24, 2026 — mostly on advertising, media and collateral materials.

State Rep. Della Au Belatti, a candidate for lieutenant governor, has raised concerns about the impact of the heavy political spending, arguing it could drown out the voices of everyday residents.

She questioned PRP’s vision for Hawaii.

“When you look at the money and when the money comes from PRP, a lot of it is coming from development contractors. So the agenda is about development,” Belatti said. “The game right now is about what kind of Hawaii are we building. Are we building a Hawaii that is a playground for the rich? Or are we building a Hawaii for Hawaii’s working-class people?”

Belatti has pledged throughout her campaign for lieutenant governor that she will not accept corporate PAC money.

Pacific Resource Partnership is primarily funded by the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters — the state’s largest construction union — and contractors. The organization has spent millions to influence local campaigns over the years.