Luana Alapa has served on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees since 2020. Back then, the former Miss Hawai‘i ousted Colette Machado, a long-time trustee who was OHA chair at the time. Machado died in 2022.
Now, Alapa faces challenger Kunani Nihipali, a farmer and former Honolulu police officer.
Jacob Aki, president of the O‘ahu Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, said OHA races are generally about name recognition — something that is challenging to newcomers when unseating incumbents.
“I think Mr. Nihipali is going to have a difficult time going up against somebody like Luana, who does come with name recognition and is a sitting trustee,” Aki said.
The top vote-getter in the Nov. 5 general election will represent Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi and sit on the nine-member board.
The trustees are tasked with overseeing a nearly $600 million trust and a real estate portfolio, which includes property in Downtown Honolulu’s Kaka‘ako Makai area.
Although Alapa’s seat represents Moloka‘i and Lānaʻi, all Hawai‘i voters can cast a ballot in each OHA race. Aki said most OHA races are decided by O‘ahu voters.
“That’s always been an issue in which Molokaʻi residents feel that their voices are oftentimes outweighed by those who live on other islands or in counties that have a larger population,” he said.
The two candidates differ on whether to build the Thirty Meter Telescope on Maunakea, but they both agree that OHA isn’t getting enough money from its ceded land revenues.
Alapa said she supports pono management of Maunakea and cited that OHA currently has a lawsuit against the new Maunakea management authority.
Nihipali is against TMT being built on Maunakea, according to his campaign website.
Alapa said if she’s reelected, she wants to focus on funding home repairs for beneficiaries, including Hawaiian homesteaders.
“I have seen homes in Molokaʻi where the windows are cardboard, they’re missing the front porch, they have to climb around through somewhere else, or their facets are leaking,” she said. “They don’t have the money to replace it, so these types of things I know we can do because we can afford to help fund these types of repairs.”
Boosting mental health services is also on her agenda. Alapa said she wants to work with other agencies to help with the costs of support services.
“I know that for a fact, mental depression when it goes unchecked when there is no one to turn to, no services available and so forth. Basically, you left to fend for yourself, and many of the people end up taking their own lives because that's the only answer that they have,” she said.
“I should know that, because 10 months ago, I lost my son to mental depression, and he eventually took his life.” she continued. “I would like, more than anything, to fulfill my pledge towards mental health support services for people."
Nihipali declined HPR’s request for an interview but said in a written statement that Molokaʻi needs leadership.
According to his website, he organized community meetings and participated with the Kupuna Council of the Molokaʻi Heritage Trust to secure the Moloka‘i Ranch Lands for the community.
Nihipali raised nearly $4,000 between 2022 and 2024 and spent more than $900.
Alapa hasn’t raised money this election period and has a more than $4,300 deficit. She still has to pay off a more than $2,800 loan, according to the state's campaign spending website.
Aki said it’s important that voters pay attention to all OHA races, including the neighbor islands.
“As we look at the issues that are plaguing these two island communities, it's important to have a candidate who may not solve the issue, but who can help be a voice for their communities at OHA to make sure that OHA is advancing and pushing these issues forward as they engage, whether it's at the state level, at the federal level, in the community, or even how they leverage their resources,” Aki said.
Ballots have been mailed to registered voters, and the general election is on Nov. 5.