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Hawaii voters cast their ballots on Saturday to decide who advances to the November general election, with key contests including the race for governor and the battle to represent the state’s 1st Congressional District.
Gov. Josh Green, who was first elected in 2022, is heavily favored to win the Democratic primary, where he faces three little-known competitors.
His challengers include George “Teva” Lucas-Tadeo, a Democratic socialist who has promised on social media to open a government-run grocery store and legalize recreational marijuana.
David “Duke” Bourgoin is mounting his second primary challenge against Green after losing to him in 2022, when he captured only 590 votes against Green’s 158,161. He also lost bids for Honolulu mayor in 2022 and 2024.
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Democratic Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and GOP candidates Gary Cordeery and Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Lauren Kapoliahiʻlaka Shim is also seeking the Democratic nomination. She is the CEO and founder of Aloha AI Incorporated, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Neither Lucas-Tadeo nor Shim had campaign websites, and none of Green’s three challengers had raised any money in the race as of June 30, according to Honolulu Civil Beat.
Green has raised about $3.5 million, far outpacing Republican Gary Cordery, the race’s second-highest fundraiser, who has raised about $313,000, according to Honolulu Civil Beat.
Cordery, owner of the contracting company Kingdom Builders, and Ken Fujiyama, an entrepreneur and investor, are competing for the Republican nomination and a chance to end nearly two decades of Democratic control of the governor’s mansion. The last Republican to serve as Hawaii’s governor was Linda Lingle, who held the office from 2002 to 2010.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, center, delivers remarks and President Joe Biden listens during a visit to an area devastated by wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, Aug. 21, 2023. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
Cordery has campaigned on lowering Hawaii’s high cost of living, expanding housing and cracking down on government waste and corruption. He has proposed adding 15,000 homes for working families, using state-owned land for housing and eliminating the state’s general excise tax on food and medicine. Fujiyama has also proposed a plan to tackle the housing affordability crisis by developing 100,000 residential lots and partnering with large landowners to spur growth.
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Whoever emerges from the Republican primary will face an uphill battle to unseat Green if he secures the Democratic nomination. Green holds a 56% approval rating, while the Cook Political Report rates the race “Likely Democrat” and gives Democrats a 13-point advantage.
Eyes outside Hawaii will be locked on the Democratic primary in the 1st Congressional District, where state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole is challenging Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii.
Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, arrives for a House Appropriations Committee markup of several appropriations bills in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington July 10, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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Case, who is seeking a seventh term, has represented the district since 2019 and argues that his seniority and position on the Appropriations Committee give Hawaii greater influence in Washington.
Keohokalole, who is endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders’ group, Our Revolution, is running on a progressive platform that includes Medicare-for-all and opposition to ICE and President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Keohokalole is seeking to portray Case as out of touch with Democratic voters, pointing to the congressman’s vote with House Republicans to pass Trump’s SAVE America Act, which would require voters to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
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Given the district’s strong Democratic lean, whoever wins the party’s primary will likely be favored to win the seat in November.
