The Nov. 5 general election will determine whether voters return former President Donald Trump to the White House or elect Vice President Kamala Harris in this year’s marquee race, which could challenge Hawaii’s low voter turnout in August.
Only 32.3% of registered voters bothered to cast ballots in the Aug. 10 party primary election.
There were no races for president, governor or lieutenant governor and little Democratic challenge to the three members of Hawaii’s four-person congressional delegation who are still up for reelection.
Three county prosecutors ran unopposed and there was little opposition to Mayor Rick Blangiardi, who won in a landslide and was reelected outright without having to face a challenge this November.
But voter apathy could change with the presidential contest, several close legislative races and a proposed amendment to the Hawaii Constitution that would remove the Legislature’s ability to repeal same-sex marriages in the state.
In 1998, when same-sex marriage was widely opposed, voters gave the Legislature the authority to limit marriages to only couples of opposite sexes. Later, when public opinion had flipped, the Legislature and then-Gov. Neil Abercrombie legalized same-sex marriages in 2013.
Depending on which county they live in, voters also will choose among several races for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii island mayor, county council seats on Hawaii island, Kauai and all nine Maui County Council seats.
There are a total of 15 charter amendment proposals across all four major counties and a second statewide constitutional amendment that would affect the process to appoint District Court judges.
The most interesting local election pits Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth 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, who drew 28%.
Hawaii County voters will decide whether to return Roth for a second term or elect Alameda, a psychologist who once led Hawaii County’s Office of Aging and was CEO of the Bay Clinic Health Center.
Three members of Hawaii’s four-member congressional delegation are also running for reelection: Sen. Mazie Hirono; Rep. Ed Case, who represents urban Honolulu; and Rep. Jill Tokuda, whose district includes rural Oahu and the neighbor islands.
There are several interesting legislative races that could see more incumbents ousted.
And voters in some House and Senate districts that already lost an incumbent will have to pick among new candidates before the next legislative session begins in January.
All 51 House seats and 13 of 25 Senate seats are up this year.
Four veteran lawmakers left the Legislature at the close 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. Desire DeSoto won the Democratic primary and now faces Republican Chris Muraoka.
Kim Coco Iwamato beat House Speaker Scott Saiki in the biggest legislative upset of the Aug. 10 primary election. She faces no opponent in November and will take office in January.
Even ahead of the possibility of more incumbent losses on Nov. 5, the Legislature already will see at least 11 new members when it convenes in January.
Shirley Ann Templo beat incumbent Rep. Sonny Ganaden (D, Kalihi-Kalihi Kai-Hickam Village) to represent the House District 30 seat. Templo now goes up against Republican P.M. Azinga.
State Rep. Natalia Hussey-Burdick (D, Kailua-Kaneohe Bay) also lost her reelection bid in the Democratic primary to Kailua Neighborhood Board member Mike Lee.
Lee now faces Republican Timothy Connelly to represent House District 50.
Newly appointed Rep. May Besario Mizuno (D, Kamehameha Heights-Kalihi Valley) lost her first election bid to Ikaika Hussey to represent House District 29.
Hussey now faces Republican Carole Kaapu in the general election.
Several incumbents were unopposed in the Aug. 10 primary election and won reelection outright.
But four Republican legislators — 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 Senate District 23 Republican primary 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, Navy veteran John Clark III, won his primary with 1,452 votes.
Rep. Elijah Pierick (R, Royal Kunia-Waipahu-Honouliuli) won his primary reelection bid to represent 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 Party primary with 1,074 votes to represent House District 42.
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