Maui trustee: Incumbent Lindsey takes the lead in Maui race
Incumbent Carmen Hulu Lindsey is in the lead in the general race to represent Maui on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees.
Her challenger is Ke‘eaumoku Kapu, a cultural coordinator at Nā ʻAikāne o Maui, a nonprofit based in Lahaina.
According to the first election results, Lindsey had about 30% of the votes compared with Kapu's 26%. Nearly 44% of people left blank votes.
Lindsey has represented Maui on the OHA board since 2012. She and Kapu have faced each other twice before, in 2012 and 2018. Lindsey won both races. She ran unopposed in 2022.
Lindsey has worked as a real estate broker and previously served as an administrator for Maui Land & Pineapple Co. and the County of Maui's Land Use and Codes Division. She also served as OHA board chair from December 2020 to December 2024, when she was succeeded by Kaialiʻi Kahele.
Kapu has served on various boards and commissions for nearly 30 years. He previously chaired the Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council, which advises OHA's Board of Trustees on historic preservation issues.
Although OHA trustees represent specific geographic areas, all registered voters in Hawaiʻi can vote for them, regardless of ancestry. That eligibility stems from a 2000 Supreme Court decision that struck down a law limiting OHA elections to voters of Native Hawaiian ancestry.
Oʻahu Trustee: Incumbent Akaka leads Kumu Hina in race for Oʻahu's
Incumbent Kalei Akaka appears to be leading the race to represent O‘ahu on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees, according to the first round of election results released Tuesday night.
Her challenger is prominent cultural adviser Hinaleimoana Wong, also known as Kumu Hina.
Akaka had about 38% of the vote compared with Wong’s nearly 30%, according to initial results. Almost 33% of ballots had blank votes.
The O‘ahu seat is shaping up to be the most competitive OHA race in this election.
Akaka was first elected as the Oʻahu trustee in 2018. She is the granddaughter of the late Hawai‘i Sen. Daniel Akaka. She defeated veteran state and federal government official Esther Kiaʻāina in that year's election and successfully defended her seat in 2022 against Brendon Kaleiʻāina Lee.
Wong is the sibling of Hawai‘i chef Alan Wong. She has worked on documentaries and local films and has been involved in activism around issues including the 2022 Red Hill fuel leaks, the 2019 Mauna Kea protests against the Thirty Meter Telescope and wind farm controversies on Oʻahu's North Shore.
All Hawaiʻi voters can cast ballots for OHA elections, regardless of where they live in the seat. The nine-member board is tasked with improving the well-being of Native Hawaiians and managing trust assets worth more than $900 million.
The OHA race is nonpartisan. The candidates have varied on issues like what to do with OHA's lands in Kaka‘ako Makai and whether OHA should consider purchasing two local TV stations, KITV and KIKU.
