Hawaii Primary: Corruption Scandal, SAVE Act Vote Shape Key Races
Hawaii's Saturday primary features a crowded lieutenant governor race amid a bribery scandal and a challenge to Rep. Ed Case over his SAVE Act vote.
HONOLULU — Hawaii voters head to the polls Saturday for a state primary shadowed by a corruption scandal at the top of the ticket and a Democratic incumbent's controversial vote on a Trump-backed election bill.
Nine candidates — five Democrats and four Republicans — are competing for their party's nomination to replace Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke. Luke, who is on unpaid leave, pleaded not guilty in July to bribery charges tied to her 2022 campaign for state legislature.
The office is a traditional springboard to higher office in Hawaii. Governor Josh Green and U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz all previously held the post. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected separately.
In the Democratic lieutenant governor race, Kauai County Mayor Derek Kawakami leads in fundraising and has benefited from roughly $2 million in outside spending by a carpenters union-affiliated PAC. He faces state Rep. Della Au Belatti and former Deputy Attorney General John Choi. On the Republican side, Daniel Anthony has been the top spender, though his total remains a fraction of the leading Democrats' outlays.
Governor Green is seeking reelection against three Democratic challengers, while Republicans have a two-way primary.
In the 1st Congressional District, seven-term incumbent Rep. Ed Case faces a stiff challenge from state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole. Keohokalole has hammered Case for voting in April 2025 for the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship for federal voter registration. Case has defended his vote, noting the version he supported included accommodations like written attestations for voters without documentation. He has opposed later versions lacking those provisions.
Case and Keohokalole are closely matched in fundraising, though Case holds a cash advantage. The winner will face Republican Adriel Lam in the heavily Democratic district, where Case won 72% of the vote in 2024.
Polls close at 7 p.m. local time (1 a.m. ET Sunday). Hawaii runs elections primarily by mail, with about 179,000 ballots already cast as of Tuesday. Results are expected in three waves, with the first update roughly 30 minutes after polls close. Recounts are automatic if the margin is 100 votes or less or 0.25% of the total, whichever is smaller.