Hawaii voters cast their ballot for president, many local races

The Nov. 5 general election will decide whether voters return former President Donald Trump to the White House or choose Vice President Kamala Harris in this year’s primary race, which could challenge Hawaii’s low turnout in August.

Only 32.3% of registered voters bothered to cast a ballot in the August 10 party primary.

There were no races for president, governor or lieutenant governor and little Democratic challenge to the three members of Hawaii’s four-member congressional delegation still up for re-election.

Three district attorneys ran unopposed, and there was little opposition to Mayor Rick Blangiardi, who won in a landslide and was re-elected without facing a challenge this November.

But voter apathy could be changing with the presidential race, several close general elections and a proposed amendment to Hawaii’s constitution that would strip the Legislature’s ability to repeal same-sex marriage in the state.

In 1998, when same-sex marriage was widely rejected, voters gave lawmakers the authority to limit marriages to opposite-sex couples only. Later, when public opinion had shifted, the legislature and then-Governor decided. Neil Abercrombie legalized same-sex marriage in 2013.

Depending on which county they live in, voters can also choose between several races for Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Island Mayor, Hawaii Island County Council seats, Kauai, and all nine Maui County Council seats.

There are a total of 15 charter amendment proposals in all four major counties and a second statewide constitutional amendment that would affect the process for appointing county judges.

In the most interesting local elections, Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth is running against Kimo Alameda.

Roth won more votes than Alameda in August but needed 50% of the vote plus one to win outright.

Roth received 38% of the vote compared to Alameda, which received 28%.

Hawaii County voters will decide whether to return Roth for a second term or elect Alameda, a psychologist who once headed Hawaii County’s Office of Aging and was CEO of Bay Clinic Health Center.

Three members of Hawaii’s four-member congressional delegation are also running for re-election: Senator Mazie Hirono; Rep. Ed Case, who represents urban Honolulu; and Rep. Jill Tokuda, whose district includes rural Oahu and the neighboring islands.

There are several interesting general elections in which more incumbents could be ousted.

And voters in some House and Senate districts that have already lost an incumbent will have to choose among new candidates before the start of the next legislative session in January.

All 51 seats in the House of Representatives and 13 of 25 seats in the Senate increased this year.

Four veteran lawmakers left the Legislature at the end of the last session in May, and Rep. Cedric Gates (D, Waianae-Makaha) gave up his House seat to run for the Senate.

A newcomer will replace Gates in the House of Representatives. Desire DeSoto won the Democratic primary and will now face Republican Chris Muraoka.

Kim Coco Iwamato beat House Speaker Scott Saiki in the biggest legislative upset of the Aug. 10 primary. She will not face any opponents in November and will take office in January.

Even before any more losses occur on Nov. 5, the Legislature will already have at least 11 new members when it meets in January.

Shirley Ann Templo defeated incumbent Rep. Sonny Ganaden (D, Kalihi-Kalihi Kai-Hickam Village) to represent the 30th House seat. Templo is now running against Republican Prime Minister Azinga.

State Rep. Natalia Hussey-Burdick (D, Kailua-Kaneohe Bay) also lost her re-election bid in the Democratic primary to Kailua Neighborhood Board member Mike Lee.

Lee will now face Republican Timothy Connelly, who represents House District 50.

Newly appointed Rep. May Besario Mizuno (D, Kamehameha Heights-Kalihi Valley) lost her primary race to represent House District 29 against Ikaika Hussey.

Hussey will now face Republican Carole Kaapu in the general election.

Several incumbents were unopposed in the August 10 primary election and won re-election by significant margins.

But four Republican lawmakers — Sen. Brenton Awa (R, Kaneohe-Laie-Mokuleia) and three first-term House members — all face Democratic challengers who won more votes in their primaries than the four Republican incumbents did in their primaries.

There are currently six Republicans in the state House and two in the Senate.

Awa won his Republican primary in Senate District 23 with 2,314 votes, while his Democratic challenger Ben Shafer won his primary with 3,359 votes.

Rep. David Alcos III (R, Ocean Pointe-Barbers Point) won his Republican primary with 1,183 votes. His Democratic opponent, Marine veteran John Clark III, won his primary with 1,452 votes.

Rep. Elijah Pierick (R, Royal Kunia-Waipahu-Honouliuli) won his first re-election representing House District 39 with 1,151 votes. He now faces Corey Rosenlee, the former head of the powerful Hawaii State Teachers Association, who won his Democratic primary with 1,763 votes.

And Rep. Diamond Garcia (R, Ewa-Kapolei) won his Republican primary with 1,020 votes. He now faces Anthony Paris, who won his Democratic primary with 1,074 votes for House District 42.