In the recent Democratic primaries in Hawaii, top congressional leaders easily won their races, but there were surprises and competitive races at the local level. Hawaii House Speaker Scott Saiki lost his bid for reelection to Kim Coco Iwamoto, who criticized Saiki’s record on key issues like condo insurance rates and the minimum wage. If Iwamoto wins the general election, she will be the first openly transgender official in the Hawaii House of Representatives. Veteran politician Clayton Hee also lost his bid to represent District 23 to Ben Shafer, setting up a competitive general election against Republican State Sen. Brenton Awa. State Rep. Trish La Chica won the Democratic nomination for the 37th District over Ken Inouye, focusing her campaign on educational issues.
In a unique situation, the late Rep. Mark Nakashima won 100% of the vote in the Democratic primary for Hawaii’s 1st House District despite passing away in July. Governor Josh Green will appoint a replacement to fill the seat. Additionally, Hawaii Island Mayor Mitch Roth secured the most votes in the mayoral race but did not reach the 50% needed to win outright, likely leading to a runoff in the general election against psychologist Kimo Alameda.
Overall, the Hawaii primary elections showcased competitive races at the local level and surprising results, setting the stage for interesting general elections in the fall.
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