Green Party challenger takes lead in Maui House race as votes are counted

Green Party candidate Pa’ele Kiakona leads Democratic challenger Sne Patel by 107 votes in the race for the state House seat representing Waihee-Lahaina-Lahainaluna. The margin emerged after the state Office of Elections released its third update of the morning on November 4. This contest threatens to produce the first member of Hawaii’s Legislature who is neither a Democrat nor a Republican, as both challengers seek to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Elle Cochran.

Kiakona, a representative for the grassroots organization Lahaina Strong, has been a prominent voice for survivors of the Maui wildfires that occurred on August 8, 2023. His opponent, Sne Patel, serves as the president of the LahainaTown Action Committee. As late Tuesday night, Patel held a slim advantage over Kiakona, but the lead shifted in favor of the Green Party candidate by the latest morning tally. The outcome of the race is not yet final.

At least 17,000 additional ballots are expected to be counted later in the day on November 4. A final count will follow on November 10, incorporating votes from voters who cure signature defects on their ballot envelopes within the five business days allowed by state law. These final additions may alter the result in this close contest.

Changes in the lead also occurred in two other legislative races that were tight as of Tuesday night. In the Ewa-Kapolei district, Republican Rep. Diamond Garcia now holds a 72-vote lead over Democratic challenger Anthony Paris. Previously, the Democratic candidate was ahead in that contest.

In the Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point district, Republican Rep. Julie Reyes Oda leads Democratic challenger Rose Martinez by 16 votes. Martinez served one term in the legislature before losing to Reyes Oda in the 2024 election. The current lead represents a reversal of the situation reported at the end of Tuesday.

Democratic candidate Corey Rosenlee secured a victory in the Royal Kunia-Waipahu-Honouliuli district. Rosenlee, a public school teacher and former leader of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, defeated Republican Danny Degracia. Degracia is an ordained minister and a state Department of Health program specialist. Rosenlee will succeed Rep. Elijah Pierick, who chose to run for the state Senate instead of seeking reelection in the House.

Rep. Elijah Pierick lost his Senate race to incumbent Sen. Rachele Lamosao of Pearl City-Waipahu-West Loch. If the current results in the House races hold, three Republican incumbents will be displaced from office, and Democrats will gain a fourth seat in the legislature.