HONOLULU -- Hawaii GOP Chief Jonah Ka'auwai said Wednesday he is satisfied his letter to urge pastors and conservative Christians to shun Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mufi Hannemann and to ban him from campaigning in their churches was successful.

In his letter that appeared on the Hawaii Christian Coalition website, Ka'auwai said he was concerned that Hannemann was asking pastors to let him speak at their services. Hannemann then used the occasion to urge conservative Christian congregations to vote for him instead of Republican gubernatorial front-runner Duke Aiona, a Catholic.

Hawaii Christian Coalition Chairman Garret Hashimoto, who endorsed Ka'auwai's letter, said Tuesday the Hannemann campaign has been trying to persuade conservative Christians to vote for Hannemann saying Aiona might lose and at least with a Hannemann victory Christians would have a foot in the door to the governor's office.

In the letter, Ka'auwai said, "Duke will win because the church has been behind him the entire time operating in the POWER and the AUTHORITY and the NAME OF JESUS!"

In his letter, Ka'auwai calls Hannemann, a Mormon, and Democratic candidate Neil Abercrombie, a confirmed Episcopalian "unrighteous."

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann on Wednesday lampooned Ka'auwai with his "worst person award" for Ka'auwai's use of scriptural language and characterization of Abercrombie and Hannemann as "unrighteous."

Ka'auwai said despite the controversy his message has hit home with the group it was intended to reach.

"I know of at least six churches and hundreds of leaders who are confirming they will not have Mufi go on top of the platform of their church. They will welcome him as well as all candidates to come to their churches, but as for getting on the platform to talk, a lot of that has been stopped," said Ka'auwai.

Ka'auwai has been criticized by others for using Biblical verses and scripture out of context to support his contention that Abercrombie and especially Hannemann are the are unrighteous.

Rob Boston, a senior policy analyst with Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a Washington, D.C., group, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying Ka'auwai's letter "looks like a document you would receive from your church pastor, not something that would come from a party official."

But Ka'auwai defended his use of scripture saying it was pointed at a conservative Christian audience in a powerful way they would understand perfectly.

Ka'auwai said he thought it was important to point out to churches his belief that Hannemann was deceptively using churches for his own gain rather than being honest about his message.

Aiona has distanced himself from Ka'auwai's letter and on Tuesday called it divisive and upsetting to some of his supporters.

"I'm running for governor to serve all the people of Hawaii regardless of their religion," said Aiona.

But State Republican Executive Director Dylan Nonaka said Ka'auwai's effort should help Aiona.

Nonaka said that's because party strategists believe Aiona would have a better chance of winning in the general election against liberal Abercrombie who favors civil unions than against Hannemann who supports the conservative Christians' rejection of the civil unions bill as too close to same sex marriage.