Recent departures at the state Legislature will lead to new lawmakers this year.
In the state House, Rep. Della Au Belatti won’t be seeking reelection for her seat. She’s leaving to run for lieutenant governor. Reps. Jackson Sayama and Elijah Pierick left their offices so they could enter races for more powerful seats in the Senate.
Longtime Sens. Karl Rhoads and Michelle Kidani announced their retirements ahead of election season.
Most of the candidates running for open seats this year are political newcomers. University of Hawaiʻi political science professor Colin Moore said they offer the best path for newcomers trying to get into office.
“It's very, very hard to beat an incumbent. The only people who tend to beat incumbents are if the incumbent has had some sort of a scandal, or if they are a unique political talent who has been able to raise a lot of money,” Moore said. “So for anyone who's trying to enter politics, an open seat is your shot."
He added that races without incumbents or a clear favorite to win can lead to more interesting elections.
“The unique thing about Hawaiʻi is that, especially for the state House, these are small districts. A lot of people win their first elected office because they knocked on the most doors. They spent the most time trying to talk to anyone who would talk to them,” Moore said.
That’s how Sen. Troy Hashimoto, who is running uncontested this year, got his start at the state Capitol.
Then-Gov. David Ige first appointed him to a House seat in 2018 that was vacated by former Rep. Joseph Souki, who resigned amid a sexual harassment investigation. Hashimoto was appointed to another vacancy in 2023, this time to the Senate after Sen. Gilbert Keith-Aragan left office.
Hashimoto won his elections after his two appointments, but said the vacancies — and his political experience, including his role as the chair for the Maui County Democratic Party — opened the doors to the state Legislature for him.
He acknowledged the influx of new state lawmakers in recent elections, and said that there are benefits to having both new and long-serving officials.
“There is value in experience. I think I've been at it a total of almost eight years, between the House and the Senate, and I think I'm finally learning how this place works,” he said, but added, “The lesson is that I think the system is working. We're getting new faces, people are leaving. There is some churn, so I think that's good because then you have those natural new ideas and that invigoration.”
He also said it keeps established legislators from becoming complacent.
“If you don't keep constituents apprised of what you're doing, you could be at risk,” Hashimoto said. “And I think that is a good thing.”
