State Rep. Faye Hanohano, an incumbent who has faced criticism over her actions while in office, was ousted from office by attorney Joy San Buenaventura, who held on to win the five-person primary in state House District 4.
San Buenaventura topped Hanohano by 860 votes, in their primary that was completed Friday after being delayed last week when surrounding damage from Tropical Storm Iselle forced the closure of two precincts in the district. San Buenaventura led by 298 votes heading into Friday’s makeup election for the voters at the Paradise Community Center and Keonepoko Elementary School precincts.
In one other race awaiting the outcome of Friday’s vote, Hawaii County Councilman Greggor Ilagan held off three challengers in the race for Council District 4, representing Puna.
Ilagan finished with 2,032 votes, well ahead of second-place finisher Roy Lozano, who had 729. With more than 50 percent of the vote, Ilagan is the outright winner of his race.
Hanohano had both supporters and detractors in the district.
Hanohano was reprimanded by the House speaker in March for "intimidating" and "disruptive" conduct, including remarks about the age and ethnicity of people who testified before her committee. Last year, she apologized after using ethnic slurs in a tirade against artwork by non-Hawaiians at her state Capitol office.
The controversies made the four-term lawmaker more vulnerable, but her name recognition remained high and the crowded field had the potential to split the opposition vote while offering choices for the diverse district that runs from Hawaiian Acres through Pahoa to Kalapana.
Others in the race included activist Leilani Bronson-Crelly, consultant Brian Jordan and Julia Peleiholani, who was Hanohano’s office manager.
San Buenaventura faces Republican Gary Thomas, a retired Air Force colonel who had no opposition in the primary.
Meanwhile, no outcomes changed on Maui, where 800 absentee mail-in ballots were discovered on a memory card that were not previously transmitted to the state Office of Elections on Aug. 9.
