U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka and U.S. Rep. Ed Case had little fundraising activity during the last quarter of 2005, another sign that Case's challenge to Akaka in the Democratic primary, while rumored, was unexpected.

Akaka raised about $75,700 during the last three months of the year and has about $648,250 for his re-election campaign, his federal campaign finance report shows.

Case's latest report was not available yesterday but he said he had about $150,000 in cash at the end of the year, down from about $174,000 from his last filing in October.

Case said he did not aggressively raise money during the last quarter of the year but has held fundraisers in January. He said he hopes to raise $1 million for his campaign. The congressman was the first to launch campaign advertising with a television commercial emphasizing his theme that it is time for the next generation of leadership for Hawai'i in Washington.

Akaka is still in the planning stages of his campaign but will likely rely on the Democratic Party establishment to help him raise money. Several veteran Democrats, including retired banker Walter Dods, former Gov. George Ariyoshi and U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, met with Akaka and his supporters on Sunday in what several participants described as an informal rally for the senator.

Akaka also has received pledges of support from U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Reid and Schumer taped a video on behalf of Akaka last week that will be released to the news media today, Akaka's campaign advisers said.

Many observers question whether Democrats nationally will invest resources in Hawai'i since it is likely the party will keep the Senate seat. National money and campaign workers might be directed to states where the party believes it might defeat Republican senators or win open seats and reduce the GOP's majority in the Senate.

Political parties are also reluctant to officially take sides in primaries, although it is common for incumbents to receive support from their colleagues. Asked about the Akaka-Case primary, Damien LaVera, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said: "We do not take a position in primary races at all."

Four state Senate Democrats, meanwhile, have proposed a bill that would require the governor to fill any vacancies in the U.S. Senate, the state Senate or the state House with appointments selected from a list of three candidates nominated by the political parties. Under state law, the governor must replace a lawmaker who has died or left office with someone from the same political party, but there has been some concern about the process after Gov. Linda Lingle named Bev Harbin last year to fill a state House vacancy when Harbin had just joined the Democratic Party of Hawai'i.

Some Democrats worry that the Republican governor would have the opportunity to replace Akaka or U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye if they were to die in office. The temporary replacement would only serve until voters select a permanent successor at the next scheduled election, but the interim senator would be able to claim a slight advantage in seniority if they chose to run.

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com.