HONOLULU — In a Primary Election in which Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi retained his seat without need for a runoff and the three Congressional incumbents up for reelection advanced with expected ease, it was Kim Coco Iwamoto who pulled off the loudest victory, unseating state House Speaker Scott Saiki in their third electoral tilt.

What You Need To Know

  • According to the final readout released on Sunday morning, Kim Coco Iwamoto garnered 2,649 votes (49.3%) to edge state House Speaker Scott Saiki (2,395 votes, 44.6%) for the District 25 (Makiki, Punchbowl, Nuuanu, Dowsett Highlands, Pacific Heights, Pauoa) seat
  • In the race for Honolulu mayor, incumbent Rick Blangiardi received 124,434 votes, far outpacing Choon James (22,938), Duke Bourgoin (6,174) and Karl Dicks (5,869). Blangiardi needed 51% of votes to avoid a General Election runoff. He ended the night with 70.7%
  • Blangiardi’s Hawaii Island counterpart Mitch Roth is headed for a General Election showdown with Kimo Alameda
  • In Congressional races, Democratic incumbents Sen. Mazie Hirono, Rep. Ed Case and Rep. Jill Tokuda all resoundingly won their party races

According to the final readout released on Sunday morning, Iwamoto garnered 2,649 votes (49.3%) to edge Saiki (2,395 votes, 44.6%) for the District 25 (Makiki, Punchbowl, Nuuanu, Dowsett Highlands, Pacific Heights, Pauoa) seat.

The race was expected to be among the closest of the evening. Saiki had defeated Iwamoto by less than 200 votes in each of the last two elections.

Iwamoto, an attorney and former state Board of Education member, previously fell short in races for state Senate District 13 and lieutenant governor in 2018. With her win on Saturday, she becomes the first transgender woman elected to the state Legislature.

Saiki's defeat marks a major shift in the Legislature. Since becoming speaker in 2017, Saiki has guided the chamber through a tumultuous period that included the COVID-19 pandemic, a major bribery scandal that took down former representative Ty Cullen and former Senate majority leader Kalani English, and the 2023 Maui wildfires.

In the race for Honolulu mayor, Blangiardi received 124,434 votes, far outpacing Choon James (22,938), Duke Bourgoin (6,174) and Karl Dicks (5,869). Blangiardi needed 51% of votes to avoid a General Election runoff. He ended the night with 70.7%.

Blangiardi garnered 58% of the vote in a runoff against Keith Amemiya to secure his first term in office four years ago.

Blangiardi’s Hawaii Island counterpart Mitch Roth is headed for a General Election showdown with Kimo Alameda. Roth’s secured 18,399 votes (36.5%). Alameda tallied the second-highest total with 13,419 (26.7%).

In Congressional races, Democratic incumbents Sen. Mazie Hirono, Rep. Ed Case and Rep. Jill Tokuda all resoundingly won their party races.

Hirono garnered 175,288 votes (84.6%), with Ron Curtis (14,192) and Clyde Lewman (4,256) far behind. Bob McDermott led Republican candidates with 27,815 votes (45%).

For House District 1, Case had 83,696 votes (82.4%). Republican Patrick Largey, who ran unopposed, got 17,263 votes.

Meanwhile, Tokuda also reached the 80% mark in the first readout with 84,592 votes. Republican candidate Steve Bond, who ran unopposed, amassed 19,520 votes.

In Honolulu City Council races, incumbents Andria Tupola, Augie Tulba and Radiant Cordero all ran unopposed and will automatically return to Honolulu Hale for another term. Council vice chair Esther Kiaaina, meanwhile, fell just shy of avoiding a General Election race, finishing with 12, 134 votes (47.5%). She will face David Kauahikua (3,732, 14.6%) in November.

In the race for Calvin Say’s vacated District 5 seat, Scott Nishimoto (13,329, 58%) won easily over Brendan Schultz (3,484, 15.2%) and Bill Muneno (1,924, 8.4%).

In the race for state Senate District 22, Democrat Cedric Gates (1,792, 45.8%) narrowly beat Stacelynn Eli (1,708, 43.6) and will face Republican Samantha DeCorte in the General Election.

The seat was vacated by longtime senator Maile Shimabukuro, who retired following the 2024 legislative session. Not wanting to name any of the current candidates as her replacement so close to the election, Gov. Josh Green appointed Gates’ office manager Cross Crabbe to fill the seat until the current term ends.

Crabbe, in turn, was running to replace Gates in House District 45. But that effort proved unsuccessful, as Desire DeSoto (968, 47.9%) defeated Crabbe (496, 24.5%) to earn a showdown with Republican Chris Muraoka in November. Muraoka (627, 51.3%) beat Tiana Wilbur (399, 32.6%) to advance.

Former U.S. representative Kai Kahele, who left Congress in an unsuccessful run for governor in 2020, topped Saturday’s field for Office of Hawaiian Affairs Big Island trustee, tallying 79,739. Z. Kaapana Aki followed with 34,123 votes (12.6%).