Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters has been ruled ineligible to run in this year’s election.
A First Circuit Court judge ruled Monday that Waters had already won the last two elections for his seat, so he cannot run again in November.
Council members can only serve office for two consecutive, four-year terms, according to the Honolulu City Charter.
The complaint, filed by Waters’ political rival Trevor Ozawa, said, “Waters was certified as elected to a full four-year term … and not in the form used for a councilmember elected to complete the unexpired remainder of another’s term.”
Waters had argued that his first term, which he won against Ozawa in 2018, wasn’t a complete four-year term, making him eligible to run despite already winning his previous two elections.
Both Waters and Ozawa received just over 18,300 votes in the 2018 general election, with Waters getting 22 more votes. That led to a special election the following April, which Waters won with just over 51% of the vote.
Waters unsuccessfully argued that the special election had led to a shortened term.
Election ballots with Waters’ name on them have already been sent to voters, and it’s unclear how the race will be handled. HPR reached out to Tommy Waters and asked if he will appeal the decision, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
