Kalei Akaka cruised to reelection to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees after capturing more than 50% of the vote for the Oahu seat.
Akaka, the granddaughter of the late U.S. Sen. Dan Akaka, received more than 57% of the vote as of late Saturday with only a few more votes to count.
Normally, the top two Oahu seat candidates advance to the general election. In this case, however, Akaka exceeded the threshold for automatic reelection: 50% plus one vote.
Her top challenger was current at-large trustee Brendon Kalei‘aina Lee, who received only 18% of the vote.
Lee, who was elected to OHA in 2018 after leading the 2016 Aha that adopted a Native Hawaiian constitution, gave up his at-large seat to run for the Oahu seat held by Akaka.
Perennial candidate Jackie Burke, an artist and entrepreneur, and Robert Peters, a former high school music and drama director, came in third and fourth for the Oahu seat, capturing 15% and 9%, respectively.
With Lee giving up his at-large seat, there will be at least one new face on the next version of the nine- member board of trustees.
All of the other OHA incumbents have advanced to the Nov. 8 general election.
For the three at-large seats up for election, six candidates will go on to the general election. They are incumbents Lei Ahu Isa and John Waihee IV, plus challengers Brickwood Galuteria, the former state senator; attorney Sam Kalanikupua King; former University of Hawaii football standout Chad Owens: and Realtor Keoni Souza.
Galuteria, a veteran radio and television personality, was the top-vote getter with 17.3% of the vote late in the evening.
Missing out will be Julian Ako, U‘i Kahue-Cabanting, Kealii Makekau, William Paik and Z. Kaapana Aki.
For the Hawaii island seat, only incumbent Mililani Trask and Hope Cermelj were running, so they will go straight to the general election ballot.
One incumbent, Chair Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey, ran unopposed for the Maui seat and was automatically reelected. Her name will not appear on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.
Affordable housing and economic development were among the hot topics discussed during this year’s OHA campaign.
The board will be deciding what to do with Legislature-approved funding increases in the coming year — from $15.1 million to $21.5 million in public trust land revenue. Additionally, OHA is receiving a one-time lump sum of $64 million, making the $21.5 million annual public land trust budget retroactive to 2012.
Trustees will also determine how to develop 30 acres of underutilized and largely waterfront land in Kakaako Makai. The 10 large parcels were given to OHA by the state in 2012 to compensate for money owed to the agency from state revenue derived from public trust lands.
The Kakaako Makai properties have been estimated to be worth about $200 million and are expected to provide a large source of revenue that will help OHA to fund grants, services and other programs designed to improve the conditions of Native Hawaiians.
Stay updated on Hawaii and national elections coverage