Hawaii voters decide state executive, legislative primaries


Image of several stickers with the words "I voted"

The statewide primary election for Hawaii took place on August 8. Candidates competed to advance to the general election scheduled for November 3.

Candidates ran in elections for the following state offices:

Office of Hawaiian Affairs (four seats)

Incumbent Dan Ahuna won the election outright for Kaua’i and Ni’ihau Resident Trustee after receiving more than 50% of the vote in the primary. The other three races for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs have advanced to the general election.

State Senate (13 seats)

All 11 incumbents who filed to run advanced to the general election.

State House (51 seats)

Three races remained uncalled as of August 12. Incumbent Romy Cachola was defeated in the Democratic primary by Ernesto Ganaden. Each incumbent who filed to run for re-election—with the exception of Cachola—advanced to the general election in the races that had been called.

Ballotpedia also covered local elections in the city of Honolulu. Honolulu is a consolidated city-county and is the 11th largest city by population in the United States.

Hawaii has a Democratic state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers.

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