Green, Kawakami win Democratic ballots for governor, lieutenant governor; Case, Tokuda, hold onto Congressional seats; two incumbent state lawmakers lose legislative seats; Bissen leading race for Maui mayor; Rapozo and Carvalho battle for Kauai mayor, election news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Statewide results as of 8:50 p.m. Aug. 8. Hawaii Office of Elections

Gov. Josh Green, Derek Kawakami head to the general election.  Gov. Josh Green secured a spot on Hawaii’s Nov. 3 general election ballot, and Kauai Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami will be his running mate after cruising to victory in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor Saturday.  Green captured 89% of the vote for the Democratic nomination for governor. Kawakami captured 67% of the vote to state  Rep. Della Au Belatti's 25%,  in the five-candidate race. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio.  Hawaii News Now. KHON2. 

Rep. Ed Case Holds Onto His Congressional Seat In A Landslide. U.S. Reps. Case, Tokuda moving on to November election. In the second election returns of the night, Case was leading state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole 60% to 36%, with the vast majority of the votes counted. In the Nov. 3 general election, Case will face Republican Adriel C. Lam, who ran unopposed in the primary, to represent Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District. In the Democratic primary to represent rural Oahu and the neighbor islands in the 2nd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda cruised to victory with over 90% of the vote. In the Republican Party primary, unopposed state Sen. Brenton Awa (R, Kaneohe-Laie-Mokuleia) was also headed to the General Election. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  Hawaii Public Radio.  Hawaii News Now.

2 incumbent state lawmakers lose seats. The longest-serving member in the Legislature, Sen. Les Ihara Jr. (D, Palolo- Kaimuki-Moiliili) lost badly to Rep. Jackson Sayama (D, Wilhelmina Rise- Maunalani Heights-St. Louis Heights). Sayama had 66% of the vote to Ihara’s 34%. Another race with a lagging incumbent is much closer. Rep. Ikaika Hussey (D, Kamehameha Heights- Kalihi Valley) had 49% of the vote to 52% for John Mizuno. Star-Advertiser.

Three incumbent trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs gained enough votes to advance to the general election. If the results hold, incumbents Brickwood Galuteria, Keoni Souza and John Waiheʻe IV will face off against Ikaika Anderson, Adrian Kealii Akina and Kanekoa Crabbe to try and keep their seats on the OHA board. Three at-large seats are up for grabs in this year’s race. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio. 

Democratic, Republican leaders offer analysis of primary results, voter turnout. With initial statewide voter turnout hovering at just 28.3%, political analysts and leaders are looking at a quiet election cycle that may mark one of the lowest participation rates in the state’s history. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Trevor Ozawa leads in Council race after Waters disqualified. Trevor Ozawa, a former Honolulu City Council member who successfully sued Council Chair Tommy Waters over his eligibility to be on the ballot, was the top vote-getter by far in East Oahu’s controversial District 4 race Saturday. An updated vote count showed Ozawa with 10,800 votes, or just over 44.3% of the votes cast. Waters, whose name remained on the ballot despite being disqualified, had received 7,978, or about 32.7%. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii News Now. 

Hawaii Island

New Faces Moving Forward To Fill County Council Seats. Incumbents Dennis “Fresh” Onishi and Heather Kimball are on track to move on to the November general election. The leading candidates to fill four open  seats, according to early results, are Manu Powers for District 7, Shannon Matson for District 5, Guy Enriques for District 6 and Eileen O’Hara for District 4. Civil Beat. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.

Maui

Maui Election Results: Bissen Out Ahead Of Sugimura In Mayor’s Race. Voters also narrowed down the top two County Council candidates to advance to the general election in certain district races. Maui News.  Maui Now.  Civil Beat.

Kauai

Rapozo and Carvalho likely to advance to the general election in the race to replace Kawakami as mayor. Current County Council chair Mel Rapozo was the top vote-getter in the six-candidate field for mayor, garnering 1,441 more votes than second-place finisher Bernard Carvalho Jr. Kauai Now. Garden Island. 

Lieutenant Governor candidates face off, Belatti files late spending report, Case congressional race gets national attention, voting machines tested statewide, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Lieutenant Governor candidates’ appearance shows similarities, differences. During their joint appearance, frontrunners Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami and state Rep. Della Au Belatti last week shared the need for more affordable housing, reducing Hawaii’s high cost of living, and their overall support for Gov. Josh Green’s kauhale housing program expansion to create permanent, affordable homes for Hawaii’s homeless. Both, however, said the lieutenant governor should remain independent from Green. Star-Advertiser.

Belatti Files Campaign Spending Report A Week Late. Della Au Belatti’s campaign blamed a computer glitch for the delay. State Rep. Della Au Belatti finally filed the reports Thursday afternoon, but not before her rival for lieutenant governor, Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami, had issued press releases publicly calling her out for the missing report. Civil Beat.

The Race For Lieutenant Governor: A Coveted Political Stepping Stone. While the job itself doesn’t amount to much, it helped elevate four politicians who later became governors, and two others who eventually became U.S. senators. Civil Beat.

Case And Keohokalole Ramp Up Their Spending In Advance Of August Primary. New Federal Election Commission filings show that both candidates raised and spent about the same amount in the last quarter, but Case has more money left over for the final run. Civil Beat.

Honolulu congressional race draws national attention. The race to represent urban Honolulu in Congress has attracted national attention from the New York Times and the Washington Post as an example of younger, left-leaning Democrats like state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole challenging older, more moderate incumbents like U.S. Rep. Ed Case. Star-Advertiser.

Voting equipment testing statewide as primary election approaches. The Office of Elections held its statewide logic and accuracy test at the State Capitol, with around 60 official observers on Oahu and another 20 on each of the neighbor islands. KITV4.

History shows every vote counts in Hawaii legislative races. All 51 state House seats and 14 of the 25 state Senate seats are up for election this year, but 16 Democratic and Republican legislators face no challenge and will automatically return to office in the Aug. 8 party primary elections. Star-Advertiser.

‘Hawaii Builds’ initiative aims to fast-track affordable housing. Under Senate Bill 2544, which legislators passed almost unanimously on May 6, the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. is being directed to help private developers produce at least one affordable-housing project on Oahu, Hawaii Island, Kauai and in Maui County under the new program in part by sidestepping county council reviews. Star-Advertiser.

Military scales up 3D printing, drones and AI to supply RIMPAC forces. Over the last few iterations of RIMPAC, the Naval Postgraduate School’s Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education participated in the exercise and experimented with these systems. But this year, military leaders have made a point of massively scaling up their use across the Hawaiian islands and beyond. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Waters holds huge fundraising lead in City Council race. Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters is heading into the Aug. 8 primary election with a commanding financial advantage over his closest challenger as he seeks a third term representing East Honolulu’s District 4, campaign filings indicate. Star-Advertiser.

Tulsi Gabbard’s brother charged in alleged Waikiki ‘stranger danger’ incident. The 55-year-old brother of former U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was arrested and charged Friday with second-degree custodial interference after allegedly trying to lure children to a Waikiki hotel room. Batarti Gabbard, aka Bhakti Gabbard, allegedly approached several children, including a boy, age 9, and offered them gum and money to accompany him to his hotel room, according to police. Star-Advertiser.

HECO seeks energy bids as JERA moves forward with LNG plan. JERA Americas, a subsidiary of Japan’s largest energy company, JERA Co., filed a notice of intent Friday with the Public Utilities Commission seeking approval to establish a new Hawaii-­based regulated wholesale power-generation company called GenCo that would own and operate the proposed power plant and supply liquefied natural gas, or LNG, to Oahu’s energy grid. Hawaiian Electric Co. is arguing the “unprecedented” move would create complexity, inefficiencies and risk in Hawaii’s energy grid. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu could follow other county councils in calling for aquarium fishing ban. The city council is moving along a pair of resolutions urging state-level policymakers to prohibit the collection of fish in the state for the commercial aquarium trade. One urges the state Board of Land and Natural Resources to adopt rules banning aquarium fishing, and the other is directed at the state Legislature. Hawaii Public Radio.

Home at last: New beginning for 815 Native Hawaiian families. On July 18, the Department of Hawaiian Homelands awarded 815 residential leases on Oahu, the largest offering on the island this year. KHON2.

Social media bans impact Honolulu businesses and artists. Several  businesses, community organizations and artists in Hawaii that have come to depend on Meta’s platforms say they’ve dealt with seemingly arbitrary bans, with little explanation from the company as it increasingly turns to AI and other systems for content moderation. Star-Advertiser.

Waikiki organizations unite to boost community, visitor impact. With Hawaii’s tourism marketing resources under pressure and international visitor arrivals still below expectations, two of Waikiki’s leading business organizations have combined operations to strengthen the resort district’s voice, marketing reach and competitive position. Star-Advertiser.

Horse-Trading And Living Costs: State House District 18 Candidate Q&As. Member chosen to replace Gene Ward runs against Democratic challenger. Incumbent representative Joe Gedeon will face Democratic challenger James Wataru in the Nov. 3 general election. Both are running unopposed in the primary. Civil Beat.

Not Again! Another Sidewalk Collapse Next To Barefoot Beach Cafe. For more than a year after a portion of Waikīkī’s popular beachside walkway collapsed into the sand, Barefoot Beach Cafe customers looking to drink out of pineapples as they watched the sunset had to do so through a chain-link fence. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Kona-based company is bringing aquaculture to Florida. Kona-based company Ocean Era recently received approval for a first-of-its-kind aquaculture pilot project off of the Gulf Coast of Florida. Titled the Velella Epsilon project, it will be located in federal waters about 40 miles out from Sarasota, to cultivate 20,000 red drum fish over the course of a year in a submerged net system. Tribune-Herald.

Big Island residents turn in nearly 150 firearms during community gun buyback event. Firearms collected included eight assault-style rifles and nine privately manufactured firearms, commonly referred to as “ghost guns.” Big Island Now.

Community raises questions about Laupahoehoe boat ramp. Dozens of community members gathered July 8 for an informational meeting about planned repairs to the breakwater in Laupahoehoe, which juts out about 100 feet from the rocky coastline. Tribune-Herald.

Investment firm pays $23 million to become outright owner of Kailua-Kona hotel. Nine Brains, headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., acquired full fee-simple ownership of Pacific 19 Kona hotel — formerly Kona Seaside Hotel — 4 years after it purchased the ground lease for the property. Big Island Now.

New youth hub in Puna to guide young people toward independence. The Neighborhood Place of Puna has opened the Puna ʻŌpio Hub for youth and young adults, ages 14-25, as they explore employment and educational pathways that may seem inaccessible. Big Island Now.

Waimea Continues “Speed Dating” Election Candidate Tradition. Voters sat down with candidates for Hawaiʻi County Council, State House, and Lieutenant Governor. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Lahaina’s Front Street scheduled to reopen on Aug. 1, 2026. Repairs and rebuilding in the area have been ongoing since the 2023 Maui Wildfires, including: removal of wildfire debris and offshore pilings; repairs to the seawall and sidewalk; installation of new railings and planting of trees along the makai side of the street; installation of fencing along the mauka side of the street and around off-limit areas; and road paving and striping. Maui Now.

‘Keep Hawaiʻi Loud’: Car Stereo Enthusiasts Boo Increased Fines On Maui. For some Maui residents, the noise is a source of repeated frustration. Others see the music as part of Hawai‘i’s local culture.  Civil Beat.

Displaced Lahaina residents hope jobs will provide a way home. Hundreds of homes have been rebuilt, according to Maui County officials, and billions of dollars have been committed to disaster recovery. Yet many West Maui families remain displaced, businesses continue to struggle to rebuild their workforce and many former residents still cannot afford to come home. Star-Advertiser.

Moloka‘i growers feeding the island in wake of missed barges, plant shipping restrictions. On an island rich with farmland and resourceful people, the goal is to help make the community more resilient and sustainable during unexpected crises like missed shipments and interisland restrictions. Maui Now.

Airlines compete for Lanai air service contract. Pacific Air Charters and Cape Air are competing against Mokulele Airlines, the only commercial airline currently servicing the island,  receiving federal subsidies to do so. Hawaii News Now.

Selenium detected in Makawao water. Trace levels of selenium have been found for the first time in the Maui County Department of Water Supply’s Makawao water system. Maui News.

Luxury Rentals, Bill 9 And Public Water: Maui County Council, Wailuku-Waiheʻe-Waikapū District. Five candidates are running for the seat held by Council Chair Alice Lee, who is stepping down. Civil Beat.

Wetlands, ICE And Accountability: Maui County Council, South Maui District Candidate Q&As. Itʻs a rematch for the two candidates running in the November general election. Civil Beat.

Invasive Species, Sustainability And Planning: Maui County Council – Kahului District. Three candidates are running in the primary for the council seat covering Mauiʻs largest commercial center. Civil Beat.

Kauai

Kauaʻi keiki bring home free helmets, bikes after annual Keiki Bike Safety Day on Saturday. Forty lucky youngsters pedaled home with new bikes, and hundreds learned essential riding skills and helmet safety from dedicated Wilcox Medical Center physicians and community partner. Kauai Now. Garden Island. 

Disasters, Tourism And Housing: State House District 16 Candidate Q&As. Incumbent Democrat faces Republican challenge for the Kauaʻi House seat. Democratic House Member Luke Evslin, who has represented state House District 16 since 2023, will face Republican opponent David Hazlebeck in the general election in November. Both are running unopposed in the primary. Civil Beat.

Income Tax Relief And Housing Affordability: State House District 17 Candidate Q&As. Longtime Kauaʻi Democratic incumbent faces primary opponent and Republican challenger.Incumbent House member Dee Morikawa is facing Democratic challenger Chad Schimmelfennig in the Aug. 8 primary election for State House District 17, which Morikawa has represented since 2010. Civil Beat.

Plan to rebuild historic Coco Palms Resort gets financial backing. A Utah-based real estate investment firm that acquired the Coco Palms site in 2022 through a state court foreclosure case recently arranged $431 million in financing and said it has begun below-grade construction work on the 32-acre property in Wailua. Star-Advertiser.

Kawakami questioned on campaign cash from convicted briber, Green may veto $50M to rainy day fund, Hawaii doesn't send delegation to Great American State Fair, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Campaign Cash From Convicted Briber Is Raising Questions In Hawaiʻi LG Race. This time it’s Derek Kawakami who is being forced to explain why he took money from a convicted Honolulu businessman and never gave it back. Civil Beat.

Green Signals He May Veto Bill To Add $50M To Rainy Day Fund. The governor also approved the new state budget, and announced he may veto measures dealing with school closures and teacher licensing. Civil Beat.

Gov. Josh Green To Chair Western Governors’ Association. Governor Josh Green will assume leadership of the Western Governors’ Association, this week during the WGA Annual Meeting. Green will join six fellow Western governors in Utah and become chair of the bipartisan organization representing Western states and territories. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.

Green Fee will fund HIEMA hurricane retrofit program. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency received $4 million to administer a pilot program to help residents harden their homes against hurricanes. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii commemoration of America’s birthday funded on a shoestring. Hawaii  won’t have a delegation from the commission participating in the Great American State Fair due to cost and staffing requirements. Hawai‘i America250 secured just $25,000 in contributions, including $20,000 from the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi Is Losing Therapists Before They Even Start. A New Law Could Help. Act 93, signed by Gov. Josh Green in June 2024, creates provisional, associate-level licenses for marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, and psychologists in training. Civil Beat.

RIMPAC International forces work across cultures. As the biennial Rim of the Pacific Exercise gets underway, participants are holding meetings and getting set up for operations across Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Governors reflect on U.S.-Hawaii history, look ahead. Hawaii’s current and former governors say the state overall remains patriotic and proud to be part of the United States heading into America’s 250th year, even as its relationship with the federal government has been strained over generations by the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom, cultural suppression, military conflict and modern political clashes. Star-Advertiser. 

Oahu

Can This Underdog Take Down Hawaiʻi’s Most Powerful Senator? First-time candidate Nani Brown is taking on the well-funded, well-connected Donovan Dela Cruz for his state Senate seat in Central Oʻahu. Civil Beat.

Council progresses bill tied to paused housing project. A controversial Honolulu City Council measure connected to a proposed Haleiwa housing and commercial development has returned for further consideration after being put on hold almost a year ago amid widespread opposition over the potential loss of agricultural land, worsening traffic and threats to the rural character of that North Shore community. Star-Advertiser.

Shuttle service aims to boost North Shore businesses still struggling after Kona‑low storms. North Shore businesses still reeling from March’s Kona‑low storms and related access challenges will get a boost when the Hawaiian Council and its partners launch North Shore Huaka‘i, a 90‑day shuttle service designed to steer visitors and kamaaina back to Haleiwa and Waialua. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

North Shore gondola project ends after new law signed by Gov. Green. Gov. Josh Green has signed Act 172, formerly House Bill 1881, on Friday, prohibiting commercial gondolas, cable cars and ropeways in Hawaii. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.  KITV4.

HPD shuts down 2 brothels in Central Oahu. Honolulu Police Department efforts to shut down brothels and help sex workers who have been trafficked were highlighted by two operations in Aiea and Pearl City this week that seized more than $20,000. Star-Advertiser.

State decries erosion at Kahala beachfront properties. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources earlier this year warned at least eight beachfront property owners in the neighborhood that they have obstructions encroaching onto the beach needing removal. Star-Advertiser.

Struggling Families, Imported Goods: State House District 39 Candidate Q&As. There are four candidates on the ballot for the open Central Oʻahu seat.  Civil Beat.

Charity Program for Housing Homeless People Broke Promises, Landlord Says. Small landlord now has doubts about renting to tenants from housing assistance programs; tenant says his story is off base. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Bill would ban new paid parking lots. The Hawaii County Windward Planning Commission on Thursday will consider a bill banning the opening of paid parking lots on the island — an effort supported by the Planning Department but opposed by some business leaders. Tribune-Herald.

Bid protest delays start of Kealakehe sewage plant upgrade. Despite settlement last year of a federal civil suit brought by a community group against Hawaii County requiring it to begin upgrading to the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant by March 1, construction hasn’t started — and the plant continues to discharge sewage into Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in North Kona. Tribune-Herald.

Incumbent Faces Councilman In Race For State’s Biggest House District. Hawai‘i County Council member Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder is trying to unseat three-term state Rep. Jeanne Kapela in the Democratic primary this August. Civil Beat.

What does the Fourth of July mean to Native Hawaiians? It’s complicated. Celebrations and activities are taking place around the Big Island for the 250th anniversary of colonists in America declaring independence from Great Britain. However, for some Native Hawaiians, the day is more of a painful reminder of the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.  Big Island Now.

Counting down to 250: Festivities in Hilo, Kona will celebrate America’s milestone birthday. Fireworks permits allowing for the purchase of up to 5,000 individual firecrackers will be available starting Monday. Tribune-Herald.

Kaʻūpūlehu Marine Reserve reopening delayed. Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources and its community partners are completing final steps to reopen Kaʻūpūlehu Marine Reserve in waters off the west side of Hawaiʻi Island; however, the time frame was pushed back. Big Island Now.

Maui

Reconstruction of Kahului Airport’s main runway down to 2 options — with drastic differences in price, resiliency. After nearly a year of expert analysis, two options now are under consideration for reconstructing Kahului Airport’s main runway 2-20, which is 84 years old and “at the end of its useful life.” Neither is cheap. Big Island Now.

Kula Hospital reopening remains uncertain due to storm damage. The historic hospital has been closed since the storms struck in mid-March, dumping more than 50 inches of rain in the area, causing extensive water damage across most of the campus. The closure leaves the area with a gap in emergency care and has sent about 100 long-term-care patients to other facilities already at capacity. Star-Advertiser.

Concern grows over planned closure of Central Maui recycling center. A Central Maui recycling center used by residents for years is expected to close Tuesday, prompting concerns in the community and among Maui County Council members. Maui News.

Kauai

Officials’ ‘Grab And Go’ Taking Of Girl Leads To $950,000 Payout. State and Kauaʻi County workers coordinated the removal of the fifth grader without her mother’s knowledge — or an order from a judge. Star-Advertiser.