Hawaii House of Representatives elections, 2020

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2020 Hawaii House Elections
General	November 3, 2020
Primary	August 8, 2020

Past Election Results

2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008

2020 Elections
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Democrats gained a seat in the 2020 elections for Hawaii House of Representatives, preserving their supermajority. All 51 seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Democrats held 46 seats and Republicans held 5. Democrats gained a net one seat, meaning Democrats expanded their majority to 47-4.

The Hawaii House of Representatives was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. All 51 Hawaii House seats were up for election in 2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.

Hawaii's 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In Hawaii, a commission is responsible for drawing district lines. The majority and minority leaders of the Hawaii State Senate and Hawaii House of Representatives each select two members. These eight members then select a ninth tie-breaking commissioner.

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Hawaii did not modify any procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Party control

See also: Partisan composition of state houses and State government trifectas

Hawaii House of Representatives
Party		As of November 3, 2020	After November 4, 2020
	Democratic Party	46	47
	Republican Party	5	4
Total		51	51

General election

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Primary election

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Incumbents who were not re-elected

See also: Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 10, 2020

Incumbents defeated in the general election

No incumbents lost in the Nov. 3 general election.

Incumbents defeated in primary elections

One incumbent lost in the August 8 primaries. That incumbent was:

Name	Party	Current Office
Romy Cachola	Democratic	House District 30

Retiring incumbents

There were six open seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020. Those incumbents were:

Name	Party	Current Office
Joy A. San Buenaventura	Democratic	House District 4
Richard Creagan	Democratic	House District 5
Calvin Say	Democratic	House District 20
Rida Cabanilla	Democratic	House District 41
Cynthia Thielen	Republican	House District 50
Chris Lee	Democratic	House District 51

The six seats left open in 2020 represented a decrease from 2018. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.

Open Seats in Hawaii House of Representatives elections: 2010 - 2020
Year	Total seats	Open seats	Seats with incumbents running for re-election
2020	51	6 (12 percent)	45 (88 percent)
2018	51	7 (14 percent)	44 (86 percent)
2016	51	2 (4 percent)	49 (96 percent)
2014	51	3 (6 percent)	48 (94 percent)
2012	51	5 (10 percent)	46 (90 percent)
2010	51	5 (10 percent)	46 (90 percent)

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Hawaii

See statutes: Chapter 12, Part I of the Hawaii Revised Statutes

In Hawaii, all candidates, regardless of partisan affiliation, must be nominated via the state's primary election before appearing on a general election ballot. In the primary election, a candidate may run as a nonpartisan or as a member of a political party. Nonpartisan candidates appear on a separate, nonpartisan ballot.

Nomination papers

To be placed on the ballot, a candidate must first file an application for nomination papers with the Hawaii Office of Elections. Nomination papers are available on the first business day in February in every even-numbered year.

Nomination papers must be signed by voters qualified to vote for the office being sought by the candidate. The number of signatures required is as follows:

• A candidate seeking the offices of United States senator, United States representative, governor or lieutenant governor must collect 25 signatures.
• A candidate seeking office in the Hawaii State Legislature must collect 15 signatures.

A signer may sign for only one candidate per office, unless there is more than one seat available for that office. When signing the nomination paper, the signer must provide the following information:

• his or her name
• his or her residential address
• his or her date of birth
• the last four digits of his or her Social Security number
• a statement verifying that he or she is qualified to vote for the candidate and that he or she nominates the candidate for the office specified

The following must also be included on the nomination paper:

• the residential address and county in which the candidate resides
• a sworn certification, by self-subscribing oath, by the candidate affirming that he or she is qualified for the office being sought and that all the information provided by the candidate on the nomination paper is correct
• a sworn certification, by self-subscribing oath, by a party candidate that the candidate is a member of the party whose affiliation is indicated on the nomination paper (this is only required of political party candidates)

Filing nomination papers

The deadline to file nomination papers is the first Tuesday in June. Candidates are advised to file papers early and to collect more than the minimum number of signatures. Exceptions or extensions on filing are prohibited, and once a nomination paper has been filed, a candidate cannot add more signatures.

A candidate who holds a public office other than that being sought must resign from his or her current office before filing to be a candidate for a new office. When filing nomination papers, the candidate must certify, by self-subscribing oath, that he or she has resigned from his or her former office.

At the time of filing, the candidate must designate what name he or she wishes to appear on the ballot. A candidate is allowed a maximum of 27 typed spaces on the ballot for names, which includes all letters, spaces, and punctuation marks. Titles are not permitted as part of a candidate's name.

Upon filing, the candidate must sign before a notary public a written oath of affirmation. In order to sign the oath, the candidate must provide a photo ID to the notary public.

Any challenges or objections to a candidate's nomination paper must be raised before the 60th day prior to the primary election. Challenges and objections may be raised by registered voters, political party officers who were named on the nomination paper, or by the state's chief elections officer.

Filing fees

Filing fees are due at time of filing and must be paid by cash, money order, or certified cashier’s check. Personal or campaign checks will not be accepted. Filing fees may be discounted if the candidate agrees to abide by the state’s voluntary campaign spending limits. Filing fees vary according to the office being sought and are detailed in the table below.

Filing fees
Office sought	Filing fee	Discounted filing fee
United States senator or United States representative	$75	Not applicable
Governor or lieutenant governor	$750	$75
All other offices	$250	$25

If a candidate cannot afford to pay the filing fee, he or she can instead file an affidavit attesting to that fact and submit a petition in lieu of the filing fee. The petition must be signed by one-half of 1 percent of the total number of registered voters as of the most recent general election in the district in which the candidate is seeking election.

Qualifying for the general election ballot

The party candidate who receives the most votes at the primary election advances to the general election.

A nonpartisan candidate can move on to the general election ballot in one of the following ways:

• by receiving at least 10 percent of the votes cast for the office
• by receiving a number of votes equal to the lowest number of votes received by a partisan candidate who was nominated in the primary election for the office

If more nonpartisan candidates gain access to the general election ballot than there are offices up for election, only the nonpartisan candidate who received the highest vote for the office will move on to the general election.

2020 ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for Hawaii House of Representatives candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Hawaii House of Representatives	All candidates	15	$250.00	6/2/2020	Source

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

From Article III, Section 7 of the Hawaii Constitution: No person shall be eligible to serve as a member of the house of representatives unless the person has been a resident of the State for not less than three years, has attained the age of majority and is, prior to filing nomination papers and thereafter continues to be, a qualified voter of the representative district from which the person seeks to be elected; except that in the year of the first general election following reapportionment, but prior to the primary election, an incumbent representative may move to a new district without being disqualified from completing the remainder of the incumbent representative's term.

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2024
Salary	Per diem
$74,160/year	$225/day; only for legislators who do not reside on Oahu.

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Hawaii legislators assume office on the day they are elected in the general election.

Hawaii political history

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.

Hawaii Party Control: 1992-2025
Twenty-six years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
House	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

Presidential politics in Hawaii

2016 Presidential election results

U.S. presidential election, Hawaii, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine	62.2%	266,891	4
	Republican	Donald Trump/Mike Pence	30%	128,847	0
	Libertarian	Gary Johnson/Bill Weld	3.7%	15,954	0
	Green	Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka	3%	12,737	0
	Constitution	Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley	1.1%	4,508	0
Total Votes				428,937	4
Election results via: Hawaii Office of Elections

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election.

Hawaii utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

As of 2020, Hawaii is an all-mail voting state, which means that its elections are conducted almost exclusively by mail. There are voter service centers that are open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time on election day, and with varying hours for ten business days prior to each election, to receive personal delivery of mail-in ballots, accommodate voters with special needs, offer same-day registration and voting, and provide other election services.

To find the locations and hours of voter service centers, see here.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Hawaii, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of the state, and at least 18 years old. Pre-registration is available beginning at age 16.

Registration can be completed in the following ways:

Online: Visit olvr.hawaii.gov. You must have a current Hawaii Driver’s License or State ID to complete an application online.

Mail: Print & submit a completed Voter Registration Application to your Clerk’s Office. Paper application must be submitted to the county elections division by 4:30 PM on the tenth day before each election.

In-person: Visit the Office of Elections or a Clerk’s Office to submit an application in person.

Applications are available at any of the following locations:

• County Elections Divisions
• Clerk’s Offices
• State Libraries
• U.S. Post Offices
• Most State Agencies
• Satellite City Halls

Same-day voter registration is available at voter service centers, to register and vote in-person, beginning 10 days prior and through election day. Paper registration applications must be submitted to county election divisions by 4:30 PM on the tenth day before each election. Once you are registered, you do not need to re-register for another election unless your residence address, mailing address, or name changes. Hawaii adopted same-day registration in 2014; implementation occurred in 2018.

Automatic registration

Hawaii offers automatic voter registration for eligible individuals through the Department of Motor Vehicles when they complete a driver license or state ID application, and the Department of Health and Department of Human Services when applying to receive public assistance.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Hawaii has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Hawaii allows same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Hawaii, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible. The voter registration application includes the following language: "The residence stated in this affidavit is not simply because of my presence in the State, but was acquired with the intent to make Hawaii my legal residence with all the accompanying obligations therein."

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Hawaii does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "any person who knowingly furnishes false information may be guilty of a Class C felony."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. As of November 2024, five states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

Hawaii's Online Voter Registration System, run by the Hawaii Office of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Voters in Hawaii are not generally required to present identification while voting. In 2019, the statute requiring voters to present identification if so requested by a precinct official was repealed.

When registering to vote for the first time, a Hawaii Driver License, Hawaii State ID, or the last 4-digits of the voter's Social Security Number is required. If none of these can be provided, one of the following must be provided as proof of identification:

• A current and valid photo identification; or
• A current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address.

Early voting

Since it is an all-mail voting state, Hawaii permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

Hawaii conducts its elections by mail. All eligible voters automatically receive mail ballots, which must be returned election officials by close of polls on Election Day.

See also

• Hawaii House of Representatives
• Hawaii State Legislature
• State legislative elections, 2020

External links

Suggest a link

• Hawaii State Legislature

Footnotes

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Current members of the Hawaii House of Representatives

Representatives

District 1

Vacant

District 2

Susan Lee Loy (D)

District 3

Chris Todd (D)

District 4

Greggor Ilagan (D)

District 5

Jeanne Kapela (D)

District 6

Kirstin Kahaloa (D)

District 7

Nicole Lowen (D)

District 8

David Tarnas (D)

District 9

Justin Woodson (D)

District 10

Tyson Miyake (D)

District 11

Terez Amato (D)

District 12

Kyle Yamashita (D)

District 13

Mahina Poepoe (D)

District 14

Elle Cochran (D)

District 15

Nadine Nakamura (D)

District 16

Luke Evslin (D)

District 17

Dee Morikawa (D)

District 18

Gene Ward (R)

District 19

Mark Hashem (D)

District 20

Tina Nakada Grandinetti (D)

District 21

Jackson Sayama (D)

District 22

Andrew Takuya Garrett (D)

District 23

Ikaika Olds (D)

District 24

Adrian Tam (D)

District 25

Kim Iwamoto (D)

District 26

Della Belatti (D)

District 27

Jenna Takenouchi (D)

District 28

Daniel Holt (D)

District 29

Ikaika Hussey (D)

District 30

Shirley Templo (D)

District 31

Linda Ichiyama (D)

District 32

Garner Shimizu (R)

District 33

Sam Kong (D)

District 34

Gregg Takayama (D)

District 35

Cory Chun (D)

District 36

Rachele Lamosao (D)

District 37

Trish La Chica (D)

District 38

Lauren Matsumoto (R)

District 39

Elijah Pierick (R)

District 40

Julie Reyes Oda (R)

District 41

David Alcos (R)

District 42

Diamond Garcia (R)

District 43

Kanani Souza (R)

District 44

Darius Kila (D)

District 45

Chris Muraoka (R)

District 46

Amy Perruso (D)

District 47

Sean Quinlan (D)

District 48

Lisa Kitagawa (D)

District 49

Scot Matayoshi (D)

District 50

Michael Lee (D)

District 51

Lisa Marten (D)

Democratic Party (41)

Republican Party (9)

Vacancies (1)