Gov. Linda Lingle's re-election campaign spent more than 26 times as much as challenger Randy Iwase in the month after the Sept. 23 primary election, according to the first detailed reports filed with the state Campaign Spending Commission since then.

Republican Lingle's campaign reported spending $1,786,235 while Democrat Iwase's camp said it spent $68,265.

The latest figures brought Lingle's total spending to $5.8 million. As expected, Lingle shattered the state record for a governor's race, which she had set in 2002 by spending $5.4 million in her victory over Democratic former Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono.

Democratic former Gov. Ben Cayetano had set the previous record in 1998 by spending $4.8 million to defeat Lingle in her first run for governor.

Lingle had previously set a record for the most money raised for an election in state history.

The governor's latest expenditures included more than $900,000 spent on television, radio and print advertising, while Iwase reported spending $38,000 on radio and print ads. Iwase has also commissioned television ads that will be reflected in a later report.

Iwase continued to trail far behind Lingle in fundraising, and is considered a long shot in the race, which will be decided on Nov. 7.

He raised $86,000 during the month after the primary and had $23,000 left as of Monday, his campaign reported yesterday.

Lingle raised $327,000 since the primary, adding it to a formidable bank account that's been built up over four years. She had $891,000 left on Monday, according to her campaign's report.

Iwase has raised a total of $328,000 since entering the race in January, including $60,000 he personally loaned his campaign.

Lingle has raised $6.5 million in donations and other income since she took office in 2002.

Iwase said that he knew he would be up against a well-funded opponent, but that he believes a strong grass-roots effort by the Democratic Party and unions that have endorsed him will secure victory.

"This campaign is not about money," he said. "It's about winning the hearts and minds of the people of our state, and we're going to do this through the type of campaigning that people deserve, and that is grass-roots, going out and meeting people."

He said he's been greatly impressed by the energy of volunteers and voters he's met on the campaign trail.

"I don't care what anybody will say, we're going to win this election just based on that kind of unscientific, informal polling," Iwase said.

Lingle's chief spokesman, Lenny Klompus, said her campaign's spending reflects the cost of running a serious campaign that aims to reach many different people.

"It takes a tremendous effort to run a statewide campaign," he said. "It takes hundreds of volunteers, tremendous man and woman hours, and it takes a lot to get out a message these days in the world we live in. ... You have to be able to touch people in various ways, because we live in a very fast-paced world."

He noted that the campaign has made a special effort to communicate with hearing-impaired voters by including closed captioning in television advertisements.

The last campaign finance reports before the election are due on Nov. 3.

Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com.