Souza and Kiakona Secure Historic Wins in Hawaii House Races

Hawaii’s final election results released Tuesday confirmed a pair of historic outcomes in closely watched state House races, ending months of legal wrangling in one district and marking a legislative first in another.

Hawaii News Now reported that incumbent Republican Rep. Kanani Souza held her District 43 seat in West Oʻahu by 103 votes, defeating challenger Sheila Medeiros after a protracted legal battle that stemmed from a tied primary, a recount, and a contested lauhala basket drawing.

Souza received 2,591 votes, or 34.5%, while Medeiros secured 2,488 votes, or 33.2%. The final tally also captured 2,411 blank votes, which Souza previously attributed to voter confusion over ballot instructions regarding voter eligibility.

In West Maui, Green Party candidate Pāʻele Kiakona won state House District 14 by 119 votes, defeating second-place finisher Sne Patel, a Democrat. Kiakona pulled in 3,025 votes, or 41.2%, compared to Patel’s 2,906 votes, or 39.6%, while incumbent Republican Elle Cochran finished third with 1,242 votes, or 16.9%.

Data provided by the Green Party indicates that Kiakona has achieved a milestone as the initial Green Party member to secure a spot in the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, alongside being the earliest U.S. candidate to capture a state legislative position since 2012. Recognized widely for advocacy work with Lahaina Strong, Kiakona actively aids Maui’s ongoing recovery following the devastating 2023 wildfires.

Voter turnout remained low across the islands during the Nov. 3 general election. Hawaii News Now reported that fewer than half of the state’s registered voters cast ballots in the final tally.

A total of 392,428 ballots were cast, representing 46% of the state’s 853,399 registered voters. Mail-in voting accounted for 43.9% of registered voters, while in-person voting made up the remaining 2.1%.