The general election for Honolulu City Council District 4 follows a confusing primary election that left voters with two candidates offering different perspectives on the district's future.
One is a former councilmember looking to return to office. The other is a political newcomer whose interest in government grew following the 2023 Lahaina wildfires.
Voters in District 4, which covers Waikīkī through East Honolulu (including Kapahulu, Kaimukī, Kahala, Āina Haina, and Hawaiʻi Kai), will be deciding between Trevor Ozawa and Tara Malia Gregory in the election.
Trevor Ozawa seeks another term
Voters are likely more familiar with Ozawa, who previously represented the district on the City Council, which covers East Honolulu.
He was elected to the seat in 2014, but lost his seat in 2018 to Tommy Waters — ending his tenure after a single term.
Ozawa served as the chair for the council's Budget and Zoning and Planning committees. He was known for fighting against the continued development of 'monster homes' through legislation targeting permits for those buildings.
He was also critical of spending on the Honolulu rail project, and delayed millions of dollars in funding for the project to get more details of how it would be spent.
Ozawa says his term showed that he cares about ensuring that taxpayer money isn't wasted.
On his website, he said, "I treated every city dollar like it came out of your pocket. Because it did. I don't just talk about watching your money. On the Council, I stood up against higher costs on working families, even when that meant taking on the special interests pushing them, because that's what I was elected to do."
Like most candidates, affordability is one of his priorities, and he said he'll push for tax relief for local homeowners and kūpuna living on fixed incomes.
Ozawa touted his work to keep affordable rental units affordable and said that he plans on addressing the slow and expensive building permitting process. He wants to "build smart" around the rail that provides housing for residents, and keep new homes in the hands of locals rather than out-of-state investors.
He had several combative relationships with other government officials while in office.
He clashed often with former Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and his administration, especially over rail funding.
Ozawa and Waters have been political rivals since 2014, when they first faced off for the District 4 seat. The two have since been involved in several close races and, this year, a legal dispute over Waters' eligibility to seek a third consecutive term representing the district.
He and former Councilmember Ikaika Anderson had also butt heads, both during and outside council meetings. Ozawa was accused of harassing one of Anderson's staffers for signwaving for an Ozawa opponent in the 2018 elections.
After the primary election this year, Ozawa said he's eager for a second term.
"I thought that I would have a second term the last time I was at the City Council, and that went away quickly in April of 2019," he said to HPR. "I really wanted to get so much more done in a second term. So eight years later, if elected again, I would love the opportunity to serve."
Tara Malia Gregory brings an outsider perspective
Gregory, a political newcomer, is likely the more unknown candidate in the race.
Gregory has roots in Hawaiʻi but was living in Texas until the 2023 Lahaina fires, when she immersed herself in politics, trying to figure out why it happened.
"After Lahaina, I don't know what's entirely true. I know there's a lot of evidence pointing to a lot of things that I think will continue to come out just regarding the major players that were involved in that fire or negligence or combination," she said to HPR.
Gregory said that areas like Lahaina and East Honolulu shouldn't be as dry as they are. One goal she has is to improve the water infrastructure to prevent major fires in the area.
She also entertained conspiracies about the wildfires, including one that Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green and Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen intentionally set them. Gregory has also been associated with conspiracies involving the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election, according to reporting from Honolulu Civil Beat. Both have circulated widely among some Republican politicians and supporters.
Gregory was one nominee offered by the Hawaiʻi Republican Party last year to replace Rep. Gene Ward after he died during his term.
One of her priorities, according to her website, is to "audit everything" in the government to ensure accountability.
She's also critical of the powers offered to the governor and county mayors, and specifically wants to address their emergency proclamation powers.
Green has been criticized for overreaching with that authority. Most notably, he's used proclamations to expedite the construction of housing in the state — by suspending rules on public participation, building regulations and environmental protections.
Her focus on limiting executive authority is part of a broader message centered on government accountability and oversight
