Retired Honolulu police chief Lee Donohue, who had been mentioned as a possible Democratic challenger to Gov. Linda Lingle, yesterday said he has decided not to run.

Donohue, 63, who retired in July 2004, said he gave "serious consideration" to challenging Lingle, the Republican incumbent, but that having to raise money for a campaign did not appeal to him.

"It was the hardest thing to deal with," said Donohue, who served 40 years with the Honolulu Police Department, including six years as chief. "All my life, I've never had to ask people for money except to raise money for kids. I explored doing a campaign without fund-raising but that was not going to be possible.

"I'm a policeman, not a politician."

Donohue is now chief of operations for Akal Security in Hawai'i and owns a karate studio.

Brickwood Galuteria, Hawai'i Democratic Party chairman, said Donohue called over the weekend to tell him he would not be running for governor.

Galuteria said two others, former Honolulu city councilman and legislator Randall Iwase and Big Island Mayor Harry Kim, are considering running for governor.

"At this point, the strong candidate probability I see is Randy Iwase," said Galuteria, who recently visited Kim on the Big Island to gauge his interest.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.