Election Day is just about one week away, and voting is well underway. There are several competitive state House of Representative races to watch.
“You have fewer Republicans in the Legislature than you did 20 years ago and that doesn't change very much. They win, then they lose, then they win, then they lose,” said political analyst and HPR contributor Neal Milner. “There really isn't a safe Republican district out there.”
In the House, there are six Republicans — three face competitive Democratic challengers this year.
Reps. David Alcos, Diamond Garcia and Elijah Pierick of Oʻahu are part of a more socially conservative pack of Republicans elected in the 2022 election.
“They won last time by beating Democrats who came to these races with big disadvantages,” said political analyst Colin Moore, referring to Alcos and Garcia beating then-incumbents Reps. Sharon Har and Matthew LoPresti in 2022. Both Democrats had been arrested for allegedly driving drunk before the election — though both cases were dismissed.
But this time, Alcos faces John Clark III, a retired naval officer and long-time ʻEwa neighborhood board member. And Alcos faces scrutiny of his own, having to pay the Ethics Commission over $12,000 for failing to disclose millions of dollars of debt.
However, Alcos has significantly outpaced Clark in fundraising for House District 41.
In Kapolei for District 42, Garcia faces small business owner Anthony Makana Paris, who has raised over $35,000 compared to Garcia's $10,000.
And for District 39 in and around Waipahu, Pierick once again faces off against Corey Rosenlee, the former head of the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association. Pierick won in 2022 by just over 700 votes.
However that win came in the middle of a bribery scandal involving a former representative of that district, Democrat Ty Cullen, who was convicted of accepting bribes.
“In these cases, the Republican incumbents are going to be going up against very credible, well-organized Democrats,” Moore said. “So I think this is an interesting test to look at these districts because I think if the Republican incumbents win this round, these will be thought of more as real red districts.”
People should have already received their mail-in ballots, and election centers are open for those who want to vote in person.
