Former State Rep Schatz on January 30 filed papers with the Campaign Spending Commission to campaign for Lt Governor in 2010 -- making him the first of two Democrats running.  Schatz' campaign chair is Andrew Winer, who led Dan Akaka's 2006 US Senate reelection campaign. 

Schatz, chairman of the Hawaii Democratic Party, is also CEO of "Helping Hands Hawaii" a non-profit with 145 employees and a budget over $6 million dollars.   Such taxpayer funded organizations play a key role in developing new Democrat candidates, funding party operatives, and corralling voters.  Schatz in 2000 founded a website design company aptly named Hubris Online.  Schatz joins Sen Gary Hooser (D-Kaua`i) in what is beginning to look like a replay of the munchkin-free-for-all Democratic 2006 primary race for US House Dist 2.

This isn't the first time Winer and Schatz have teamed up together.  Here is a photo of Schatz August 27, 2006 at an official Dan Akaka Senate campaign rally in the barn of Larry Mehau's Hamakua ranch.  For some reason, Schatz appears sweaty and pallid as the camera turns in his direction.  Maybe because Mehau has been accused of being the "godfather of all organized crime in Hawaii"--a charge Mehau denies.  Numerous other politicians at the event ducked the camera leaving our photographer with only blurry images.