Lt. Gov. Josh Green will serve as Hawaiʻi’s ninth governor. The state saw a lower-than-usual election turnout with about 40% of registered voters coming out.
Democratic gubernatorial pair Josh Green and running mate Sylvia Luke soundly defeated the Republican ticket featuring former Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona and Seaula Tupaʻi Jr. on Tuesday night.
In his victory speech, Green said his administration would tackle the state’s ongoing housing crisis, homelessness and rising costs.
"You've placed that trust in us to lead Hawaiʻi forward as your next administration. And we will never take that faith and trust for granted. For the next four years, I will work my heart out every day to earn it. I will serve as your governor the way you deserve with everything I have," Green told a crowd at the Democratic Party's election celebration at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center.
“Tonight is the first day of that new era where our leaders must start doing more to listen, to care and to work on issues that matter to all of us, that matter to you,” said Green, who has served as second-in-command to Gov. David Ige for the past four years.
During the primary, Green defeated businesswoman Vicky Cayetano and U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele. With Kahele’s unsuccessful run for governor, his 2nd Congressional District seat opened up.
Democrat Jill Tokuda received more than 60% of Tuesday’s vote, beating Republican Joe Akana. After 12 years in the state Senate, Tokuda will now represent rural Oʻahu and the neighbor islands in Washington.
"If you told me today we would be standing here as the newest member of Hawaiʻi's congressional delegation, I would have told you it only be possible if I had the support of every Democrat here, every single Democrat, and we won a tough primary. And we won a hard general, we stood against the odds. And we made sure when they looked at that national map, Hawaiʻi stayed blue," Tokuda said.
Hawaiʻi is one of the nation’s most reliably blue states, with Democrats dominating federal and statewide elected offices. Joe Biden won 63% of the vote in 2020, while 34% cast ballots for Donald Trump.
Tokuda joins the congressional delegation alongside Sen. Mazie Hirono, and Rep. Ed Case and Sen. Brian Schatz, who both won their reelection bids on Tuesday.
"We're going into a very divided time, a divided country, a divided Congress, if you ask me now more than ever, this nation, this congress needs Hawaiʻi," Tokuda said.
On Maui, retired Judge Rick Bissen defeated incumbent Mayor Mike Victorino.
And on Kauaʻi, incumbent Mayor Derek Kawakami will serve a second term after defeating opponent Michael Roven Poai, a 25-year County of Kauaʻi employee.
