The General Election will be held Tuesday, and Big Island voters will have the opportunity to choose Hawaii County’s next mayor, along with state senators and representatives, County Council members, and of course the U.S. president.
Incumbent mayor and former Hawaii County prosecutor Mitch Roth faces a challenge from Kimo Alameda, the former CEO of Bay Clinic Health Center. At the Primary Election in August, Roth received 18,399 votes, or 38%, with Alameda receiving 13,419, or 27.5%.
Roth touts endorsements from the Laborers International Union, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, International Union of Operating Engineers, Plumbers &Pipefitters UA Local 675, the General Contractors Association of Hawaii, the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hawaii.
Meanwhile, Alameda’s campaign cites endorsements by the Iron Workers of Hawaii Local 625, the Kanaka Movement and the state’s largest two public worker unions, the Hawaii Government Employees Association and United Public Workers.
General Election ballots were mailed out to voters Oct. 15. According to data from the state Office of Elections, 61,608 of the 64,718 Big Island ballots submitted in the 2022 General Election were by mail, accounting for 95% of all votes cast in the county, and 47% of all registered voters on the island.
Completed ballots must be received by the Hawaii County Election Division by 7 p.m. Tuesday in order to be counted. Voters are therefore advised to consider U.S. Postal Service delivery times if mailing in their ballots.
“If you haven’t sent in a ballot by Sunday (Nov. 3), then don’t mail it in,” said County Clerk Jon Henricks. “We have to receive the ballot by 7 p.m. Election Day, not have it postmarked by then.”
Henricks said last week, with one week to go before Election Day, that the electoral process has so far not had much to report “which is probably good, as these things go.” State tests on the county’s voting machines took place weeks ago without incident.
The county had processed over 30,000 ballots as of Oct. 26, Henricks said, although he noted that number will surely climb rapidly as the day approaches.
Voters also can submit ballots to 10 drop box locations throughout the county. Those locations include the Hawaii County Building in Hilo, the Waikoloa Village Association, the West Hawaii Civic Center, the Rodney Yano Memorial Hall in Captain Cook, and the police stations in Laupahoehoe, Keaau, Pahoa, Naalehu, Waimea and North Kohala.
In-person voter service centers are open at the Aupuni Center conference room in Hilo and the West Hawaii Civic Center community room from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day up until Election Day, excluding today. On Election Day, the centers will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
People who wish to register to vote can do so at voter service centers or online at the Office of Elections website up to Election Day.
Beyond the mayor’s race, the election will decide several seats in the U.S. Congress and state Senate and House of Representatives, as well as multiple County Council members.
U.S. Congress
• U.S. Senate. Incumbent Mazie Hirono, who took office in 2013. Hirono, a Democrat, faces Republican challenger Bob McDermott, who handily beat five other Republicans in the Primary Election, taking more than three times the votes of his closest rival. However, Hirono took more than six times McDermott’s votes in her own Democratic primary. Two other candidates are vying for the seat: Green Party candidate Emma Pohlman and Shelby Pikachu Billionaire, representing the We the People Party.
• U.S. Representative, District 2, representing all parts of the state outside of Honolulu, is up for grabs between Democratic incumbent Jill Tokuda, who took office in 2023, and three challengers. Tokuda ran unopposed in the Primary Election, as did Republican Steven Bond, Libertarian Aaron Toman and nonpartisan Randall Meyer.
State House of Representatives
• State House District 3, which includes a portion of Hilo, Keaukaha, Orchidland, Ainaloa, Hawaiian Acres, Fern Acres and portions of Keaau and Kurtistown, will see Democrat incumbent Chris Todd face Republican Kanoa Wilson and Libertarian Austin Martin.
• State House District 4, representing Puna, where Democratic incumbent Greggor Ilagan faces Republican challenger Keikilani Ho, both of whom ran unopposed in the Primary Election.
• State House District 5, encompassing parts of Keaau and Kurtistown, Mountain View, Glenwood, Fern Forest, Volcano, Pahala, Punaluu, Naalehu, Ocean View and Hookena, will pit Democratic incumbent Jeanne Kapela against Republican Ashley Oyama and Libertarian Frederick Fogel.
• State House District 6, which includes Captain Cook, Kailua-Kona, Kealakekua, Honaunau and Keauhou, where Democratic incumbent Kirstin Kahaloa will battle Republican Sylvie Madison.
• State House District 7, representing North Kona and North and South Kohala, where Democratic incumbent Nicole Lowen, who ran unopposed in the primary, will face Republican Timothy Dalhouse.
• State House District 8, including Hawi, Waikoloa, Kawaihae and Waimea, will pit Democrat incumbent David Tarnas against Republican Monique CobbAdams Perreira. The district is newly formed after redistricting in 2022.
• Outgoing Hilo Councilwoman Sue Lee Loy won House District 2, which includes Hilo, in the primary and faces no challengers in the General Election.
• State House District 1, including Hamakua and parts of Hilo, had its representative Matthias Kusch chosen by Gov. Josh Green in August after the sitting Rep. Mark Nakashima died in office in July. Kusch’s term ends in 2026.
State Senate
• Only one state Senate seat representing the Big Island — District 3, covering the south of the island from Kailua-Kona to Naalehu and up again to Volcano — is up for grabs in the General Election. Democratic incumbent Dru Kanuha will fight Republican challenger Kurt Sullivan. District 1 incumbent Lorraine Inouye has no challengers in the General Election and was therefore elected by default after the primary, while District 4 incumbent Tim Richards similarly goes unchallenged. The current District 2 senator, Joy San Buenaventura, is not up for reelection until 2026.
Hawaii County Council
• Puna Councilman Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder is in a runoff in the General Election after a tightly contested primary. Although Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder was able to defeat four rivals in the primary, he didn’t do so with a great enough margin to be declared the winner. He will face off against challenger Ikaika Rodenhurst.
• Kohala Councilwoman Cindy Evans faces challenger James Hustace. Hustace came out ahead in the primary, beating Evans by a little more than 200 votes, but didn’t receive more than 50% of the total vote, requiring a runoff on Tuesday.
• All other County Council districts are uncontested in the General Election.
County charter amendments
•One county charter amendment would clarify that, in the event of a vacancy on the County Council, the remaining council members can appoint by resolution a successor to serve out the remainder of the vacancy’s term, or appoint an elected successor to fill their seat early if the member they are to replace vacates their seat between the election and the successor taking office.
• Another charter amendment would establish a 30-day deadline for the mayor to appoint department heads after taking office and a 60-day deadline to fill a vacancy mid-term.
• The final charter amendment on the ballot would increase the term length for members of the Cost of Government Commission from 11 to 22 months, and extend a deadline for that commission to submit its report from 11 to 22 months as well.
State constitutional amendments
• As detailed in House Bill 2802, this amendment would remove language in the constitution that grants authority to the state legislature to reserve the right of marriage to opposite-sex couples only. A “yes” vote would remove the state Legislature’s ability to declare same-sex marriages illegal or invalid, while a “no” vote would allow the Legislature to reserve that right.
• An amendment detailed in Senate Bill 2927, this would make the appointment and confirmation processes for District Court judges identical to those for Supreme Court justices and Intermediate Court of Appeals and Circuit Court judges. This would allow district court appointments to be automatically approved if the state Senate fails to reject it within 30 days, while currently the appointment is rejected automatically in such circumstances.
U.S. President
• Sitting Vice President Kamala Harris is running on the Democratic ticket to replace President Joe Biden, who will step down after his term ends in January. Her running mate for VP is current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Challenging her is former President Donald Trump and running mate J.D. Vance, both Republicans.