Incumbents Dominate Hawaii Primaries Despite Record Low Turnout

Incumbents largely maintained their positions in the 2026 Hawaii primary elections held on August 8 and 9, despite statewide voter turnout falling to approximately 33%, one of the lowest in state history. In Hawaii County, turnout was specifically recorded at 32.7%, with 44,027 of 134,573 registered voters participating primarily via mail.

Governor Josh Green won the Democratic nomination for reelection, defeating three challengers to advance to the general election. U.S. Representatives Ed Case and Jill Tokuda also secured their Democratic nominations. At the state level, Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor with over 60% of the vote. This race occurs as current lieutenant governor Sylvia Luke faces criminal charges including bribery, conspiracy, and falsifying campaign reports.

Local races saw more volatility. In the state Senate, former State Representative Jackson Sayama defeated incumbent Senator Les Ihara. In Honolulu, Trevor Ozawa leads the City Council District 4 race after a Hawaii First Circuit Court ruled incumbent Tommy Waters ineligible for another term. In Maui, Mayor Richard Bissen led the nonpartisan mayoral primary with 46% but must face Yuki Lei Sugimura in the general election. In Hawaii County, incumbents Jenn Kagiwada, Holeka Inaba, Heather Kimball, Dennis Onishi, and James Hustace secured their seats, while Manu Powers won the District 7 seat.