Hawaii House speaker loses reelection bid, deceased lawmaker wins seat: 5 takeaways from Saturday's primaries

While Hawaii’s top congressional leaders easily won their Democratic primaries on Saturday, the Aloha State saw its share of competitive races ? and surprises ? at the local level.

Here are some key takeaways as the state gears up for Election Day in the fall:

Hawaii House Speaker Scott Saiki loses reelection bid

In a stunning upset, Hawaii House Speaker Scott Saiki lost the Democratic primary for the House District 25 seat to Kim Coco Iwamoto, a progressive civil rights attorney and former school board member.

Saiki, who has represented the urban district that includes Ala Moana, Kakaako, and downtown Honolulu since 1994, narrowly won previous primary battles against Iwamoto in 2020 and 2022.

During this year's campaign, Saiki praised the accomplishments of Hawaii's previous legislative session, which included efforts ranging from disaster relief to tax cuts. Iwamoto, however, attacked Saiki's record on key issues such as condo insurance rates and the minimum wage, arguing that the longtime lawmaker had failed to adequately address the needs of his constituents.

If she wins the general election, Iwamoto will become the first openly transgender official to join the Hawaii House of Representatives.

Veteran politician Clayton Hee defeated in Democratic primary 

Former Hawaii State Sen. Clayton Hee, a veteran politician with endorsements from three former governors, lost his bid to represent District 23 to fellow Democrat Ben Shafer. Hee, who campaigned on addressing issues like farming, sea level rise and cesspools, was defeated by Shafer, a community advocate known for his opposition to the contentious Turtle Bay Resort expansion. Shafer's strong support from unions, including the Hawaii State Teachers Association, proved crucial in the primary.

Shafer's victory sets up a closely watched general election against Republican State Sen. Brenton Awa, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary. The race is expected to be one of the most competitive in Hawaii, as Awa and Shafer vie for control of one of the state's few swing districts.

More: Familiar faces Kai Kahele, Clayton Hee re-emerge for Hawaii’s primary elections

Ken Inouye, grandson of late Sen. Daniel Inouye, loses primary

State Rep. Trish La Chica has clinched the Democratic nomination for the Hawaii State House's 37th District, beating Ken Inouye, son of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye.

La Chia’s campaign focused on educational issues, courting students, parents, and educators in Central Oahu. While Inouye, who is an assistant to the vice chancellor at the University of Hawaii-West Oahu, campaigned on debates such as the cost of living and the future of retirees and the younger generation.

Deceased candidate still ballot eligible, “wins” state house seat

The late Rep. Mark Nakashima won 100% of the vote in the Democratic primary for Hawaii's 1st House District. Nakashima, who died on July 11, remained on the ballot as the sole candidate, ensuring his victory by default.

According to Hawaii's Office of Elections, Gov. Josh Green will now appoint a replacement from a list of three candidates provided by the Democratic Party.

Big Island mayoral race headed to a runoff: 

Hawaii Island Mayor Mitch Roth secured roughly 39% of the votes in Saturday’s primary but fell short of the 50% needed to win outright, likely setting up a runoff in the Nov. 5 general election. Psychologist Kimo Alameda, with approximately 28% of the vote, is Roth’s closest competitor.

Roth and Alameda will likely face each other in the general election, as the remaining candidates – Breeani Kobayashi, a hotel general manager, and Junior Tupa‘i, a pastor and former lieutenant governor candidate – did not pick up enough support to qualify for the runoff.

More: Hawaii lawmaker is guaranteed an election win. But there's one problem

Jeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter @JeremyYurow

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hawaii saw competitive races, surprises: 5 state primary takeaways