Election

Primary elections 2024: State House races already decided, but ballot will have federal challenges

By Nathan Christophel
 June 23, 2024, 3:00 AM HST
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Residents line up at the voter service center in the basement of the Historic County Building in Līhu‘e. (File photo by Scott Yunker/Kauaʻi Now)

The Democratic and Republican primaries for the three districts of the Hawai‘i House of Representatives that represent Kaua‘i with seats up for grabs in this year’s elections are already decided as each has just one candidate.

The deadline to file papers to be on this year’s Primary Election ballot was June 4.

District 15 incumbent Democrat Rep. Nadine Nakamura of Kapaʻa is running unopposed and automatically advances from the Aug. 10 primaries to the Nov. 5 General Election to take on Republican David Moranz of Kapaʻa, who is also uncontested in the primary.

The same goes for District 16 incumbent Democrat Rep. Luke Evslin of Līhuʻe who advances unopposed to the general to face off against unopposed Republican opponent Steve Yoder of Kapaʻa.

In House District 17, incumbent Democrat Daynette “Dee” Morikawa cruises through the primaries uncontested for a Nov. 5 matchup against unopposed Republican challenger Michael Jauch of Kalāheo.

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There is a contested race for the Kauaʻi and Niʻihau Resident Trustee on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees, however, as incumbent Dan Ahuna of Kapaʻa tries to keep his seat from the clutches of challenger Laura Lindsey also of Kapaʻa.

Voters can also weigh in on several other open OHA races at the state level.

In the 2024 federal races, incumbent Hawai‘i Democratic U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono of Honolulu will face off against two others in the August primaries to see who makes it to General Election Day. Ron Curtis of Kalāheo and Clyde “Mac” Lewman of Honolulu are looking to best the lawmaker who has served in the Senate since 2013.

A field of seven Republican hopefuls are competing to be the one on the general election ballot to take on the other party primary winners for a shot at going to Washington as senator-elect. All of them are from O‘ahu.

A We The People Party candidate from O‘ahu as well as a Green Party candidate and nonpartisan hopeful both from the Big Island also will cruise to the Nov. 5 election uncontested.

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The race for the District II congressional seat in the other chamber at the U.S. Capitol will be the same in the primary and general election with only one candidate filing papers to run in three parties, including incumbent Democratic Hawai‘i U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, and a nonpartisan candidate.

Voters should start seeing 2024 primary ballots arriving in their mailboxes beginning July 23. Once they’re completed, there are several ways to make sure the Kaua‘i County Office of the County Clerk Elections Division gets them back on time.

There will be 9 ballot drop boxes around the island where voters can return completed ballots. They can also bring ballots in person to a voter service center in Līhuʻe.

Drop boxes will be available 24 hours a day starting July 18 and through 7 p.m. the day of the primaries.

The voter service center, located in the basement of the Historic County Annex Building in Līhuʻe, will be open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday beginning July 29. It will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Primary Election Day.

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No matter how they’re returned, the county must receive completed ballots back by 7 p.m. the night of the election to be counted.

For a map of ballot drop box locations, the voter service center and U.S. Post Office collection points, click here.

For more about best practices for mail-in voting and making sure you’re registered to cast your ballot, click here.

For additional information about the upcoming elections, candidates, ballot dropoff places and more, click here. You can find a 2024 election timeline on the Kaua‘i County Office of the County Clerk Elections Division website.

For more information about this year’s county races, click here.

Here is a list of candidates — with names as they appear on ballots and in alphabetical order, along with their communities of residence and campaign websites/emails, when available — in this year’s primary races in Kaua‘i County.

Hawai‘i State Legislature

(House of Representatives seats have 2-year terms)

House District 15

Democratic

Republican

House District 16

Democratic

Republican

House District 17

Democratic

Republican

Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees, all nonpartisan, 4-year terms

(Note: All voters statewide are allowed to vote in each OHA contest)

Kauaʻi and Niʻihau Resident Trustee

Hawaiʻi Island Resident Trustee

Mililiani Trask, a lawyer and Native Hawaiian rights activist who is the current vice chairwoman of the OHA Board of Trustees and has served on the board since she was selected for the Big Island seat in February 2022, did take out papers for her post but will not seek re-election.

Sue Lee Loy of Hilo and Iolani Kamauu of Waimea also took out papers to seek the Big Island trustee seat but did not file them in time to be on the 2024 ballot.

Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi Resident Trustee

At-Large Trustee

    • KALIMA, Leona M.; Waimānalo, Oʻahu

Derek Kirkpatrick of Honolulu did take out papers to seek the open at-large post but did not file them by the June 4 deadline.

Christina Jung leaves after casting her vote in the 2022 General Election at the Aupuni Center in Hilo on the Big Island. (Big Island Now file photo)

U.S. Senate, 6-year term

Democratic

Republican

We The People

Green

Nonpartisan

Libertarian and Big Island resident Aaron Toman of Nāʻālehu; Green Party member Jennifer Booker of Waipahu, O‘ahu; Democrat Daniel Decker IV or Honolulu; nonpartisan hopeful Link El of Honolulu; and Republicans Ku Lono Cuadra of Honolulu; Lester Fung of Wahiawā, O‘ahu; Shaena Dela Cruz Hoohuli of Waiʻanae, O‘ahu; Walter Kupau Jr. of Pearl City, O‘ahu; Keith Drummond Lambert of Kīhei, Maui; and Edward “Eddie” Pirkowski of Honolulu each took out nomination papers to seek the U.S. Senate seat but did not file them by the June 4 deadline to be on this year’s ballot.

U.S. House of Representatives, District II, 2-year term

Democratic

Republican

Nonpartisan

Libertarian

Democrat Rick Swing of Kailua-Kona; Mack Lono of Kailua-Kona, as a Republican and under no labels; Republican Brandon Kuehner of Honolulu; and We The People candidates Clifford Kauaula and BlessingStar De La Cruz, each of Kapolei, O‘ahu.

 Nathan Christophel
Nathan Christophel has more than 20 years of experience in journalism, starting out as a reporter and working his way up to become a copy editor and page designer, most recently at the Hawaii Tribune-Herald in Hilo.
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