The races for state House seats on the Big Island were blowouts Tuesday as incumbent Democrats held insurmountable leads Tuesday evening based on a tally of all mail-in ballots submitted by Monday and some ballots submitted Election Day.
In the race for District 3 — which, after a redistricting earlier this year, encompasses parts of Hilo, Keaukaha, Waiakea and Keaau — Democrat Chris Todd defeated Aloha Aina Party candidate Devinshaw K. McMackin by a wide margin, receiving 83% of the vote.
In District 4, which includes Pahoa and lower Puna, incumbent Democrat Greggor Ilagan received 72% of the vote, fending off challenges by three other candidates: Republican Keikilani Ho, who received 20%, nonpartisan Brian Ley, who received 5%, and Libertarian Candace Linton, who received 2%.
“I’d like to believe that voters feel I have already delivered for Puna,” Ilagan told the Tribune-Herald, thanking voters for their show of support. “Of course, now the real work begins.”
Ilagan urged Puna residents to attend a series of 12 town halls he will hold through December so that they can voice their concerns about the district. The last time he held those town halls, he said, residents stressed the need for a Puna Makai Alternate Route, a project that would create a new transit corridor out of Puna that he said he wants to accelerate in his upcoming term.
“There’s really heavy traffic in and out of the district,” Ilagan said. “I’m hoping we can figure out things like the engineering and environmental reports so we can get this moving.”
The race for District 5 — which includes Ka‘u, Pahala, Volcano and Glenwood after redistricting — also ended decisively early Tuesday, with Democrat Jeanne Kapela winning 72% of the vote, defeating Republican Lohi Goodwin and Libertarian Michael Last.
“Our state deserves leadership with aloha for hardworking ‘ohana,” said Kapela in a statement Tuesday night. “From creating homes that are affordable for working families and enacting paid sick and family leave programs to expanding access to reproductive care and combating the climate crisis, we are crafting a future that restores hope to those who need it most.”
And District 8, which represents Waimea and Hawi, saw Democrat David Tarnas defeat Republican Monique CobbAdams Perreira with 71% of the vote.
A fifth race in District 6, which encompasses parts of South Kona from Holualoa down to Napo‘opo‘o, was fought between two newcomers, Democrat Kristin A. K. Kahaloa and Republican Jonathan P. Kennealy. Kahaloa won with 71% of the vote.
Races for House Districts 1, 2, and 7 were decided in the primary election, with Democrat incumbents Mark Nakashima, Richard Onishi and Nicole Lowen respectively retaining their seats.
However, because of the redistricting, some of those legislators have shuffled their seats: Onishi previously represented District 3, having switched districts with Todd, while Tarnas was formerly representative of District 7, and Lowen formerly represented District 6.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
