2026 Hawaii Senate election

2026 Hawaii Senate election
November 3, 2026
13 of the 25 seats in the Hawaii Senate
13 seats needed for a majority
 
Leader Ron Kouchi Brenton Awa
Party Democratic Republican
Leader since May 5, 2015 November 8, 2024
Leader's seat 8–Lihue 23–Kahaluʻu
Last election 68.8%, 12 seats[a] 29.2%, 1 seat
Current seats 22 3
Seats needed 10
Seats up 12 1
Incumbents:
     Democratic incumbent      Republican incumbent
     No election
Incumbent President

Ron Kouchi
Democratic



The 2026 Hawaii Senate election is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, to elect 13 of 25 representatives to serve four-year terms in the Hawaii Senate. Partisan primaries will take place on August 8, 2026.[1] Democrats currently hold a veto-proof supermajority in the chamber.

State senators in Hawaii represent an average of 58,405 residents as of the 2020 United States census.[2] If a primary or general election in a district sees only one candidate file, no election will be held. Four general elections in 2024 were canceled due to lack of competition.

Summary

By district

†: Incumbent not running for reelection. ‡: Special election.

District Incumbent Party Elected Senator Party
2nd Joy San Buenaventura Dem TBD
5th Troy Hashimoto Dem TBD
8th Ron Kouchi Dem TBD
9th Stanley Chang Dem TBD
10th Les Ihara Jr. Dem TBD
11th Carol Fukunaga Dem TBD
13th Karl Rhoads† Dem TBD
14th Donna Mercado Kim Dem TBD
15th Glenn Wakai Dem TBD
17th Donovan Dela Cruz Dem TBD
19th Rachele Lamosao‡ Dem TBD
20th Kurt Fevella Rep TBD
21st Mike Gabbard Dem TBD
25th Chris Lee Dem TBD

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
Sabato's Crystal Ball[3] Safe D January 22, 2026

Background

District County Reg. voters
(2022)[4]		 2022 vote 2024 pres.[5]
2nd Hawaii 31,110 D+43.9 D+26.9
5th Maui 34,796 D+Unopp.[b] D+24.7
8th Kauaʻi 48,494 D+48.3 D+19.5
9th Honolulu 39,591 D+40.5 D+36.7
10th Honolulu 32,962 D+34.0 D+42.5
11th Honolulu 34,811 D+50.6 D+46.1
13th Honolulu 30,596 D+42.4 D+34.7
14th Honolulu 26,267 D+47.1 D+18.1
15th Honolulu 31,254 D+35.4 D+14.0
17th Honolulu 34,101 D+30.4 D+15.6
20th Honolulu 31,964 R+Unopp. R+4.8
21st Honolulu 33,170 D+17.8 R+4.2
25th Honolulu 40,051 D+40.6 D+30.2

Retiring incumbents

Democrats

  1. District 13: Karl Rhoads is retiring.[6]

Detailed results

District 2 • District 5 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 11 • District 13 • District 14 • District 15 • District 17 • District 19 (special) • District 20 • District 21 • District 25

District 2

District 2 election
Incumbent Senator

Joy San Buenaventura
Democratic



Incumbent Democrat Joy San Buenaventura was re-elected in 2022 with 69.74% of the vote. She is running for re-election.

Democratic primary

Filed

Third-party and independent candidates

Filed
  • Fred Fogel, nominee for this district in 2016 and 2022, nominee for the 5th state house district in 2024, nominee for the 3rd state house district in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2018, Democratic candidate for the 3rd state house district in 2020 (Libertarian)[7]

District 5

District 5 election
Incumbent Senator

Troy Hashimoto
Democratic



Incumbent Democrat Troy Hashimoto was elected in a 2024 special election unopposed. He has not announced if he will run for re-election.

Democratic primary

Potential

District 8

District 8 election
Incumbent Senator

Ron Kouchi
Democratic



Incumbent Democrat Ron Kouchi was re-elected in 2022 with 71.41% of the vote. Although previously signaling he would retire, Kouchi instead announced he would run for re-election.[8]

Democratic primary

Declared
Declined

District 9

District 9 election
Incumbent Senator

Stanley Chang
Democratic



Incumbent Democrat Stanley Chang was re-elected in 2022 with 70.27% of the vote. He has not announced if he will run for re-election.

Democratic primary

Potential

District 10

District 10 election
Incumbent Senator

Les Ihara Jr.
Democratic



Incumbent Democrat Les Ihara Jr. was re-elected in 2022 with 66.98% of the vote. He has not announced if he will run for re-election.

Democratic primary

Filed
  • Jake T. Morrow[7]
  • Jackson Sayama, state representative (2020–present) from the 21st district (2022–present) and the 20th district (2020–2022)[7]
Potential

District 11

District 11 election
Incumbent Senator

Carol Fukunaga
Democratic



Incumbent Democrat Carol Fukunaga was elected in 2022 with 75.31% of the vote. She has not announced if she will run for re-election.

Democratic primary

Potential

District 13

District 13 election
Incumbent Senator

Karl Rhoads
Democratic



Incumbent Democrat Karl Rhoads was re-elected in 2022 with 64.36% of the vote. He is retiring.[6]

Democratic primary

Filed
  • Lei Ahu Isa, former at-large member of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (2014–2022) and former state representative (1996–2002)[7]
  • Tricia M.K.L. Nakamatsu[7]
  • Jordan K. Nakamura[7]
  • Michael "Cov" Ratcliffe[7]
  • Lynn Vasquez, nominee for the 27th state house district in 2010[7]
Declined

Republican primary

Filed
  • Wallyn Kanoelani Christian, candidate for the 27th state house district in 2024, candidate for U.S. Senate in 2022[7]

District 14

District 14 election
Incumbent Senator

Donna Mercado Kim
Democratic



Incumbent Democrat Donna Mercado Kim was re-elected in 2022 with 73.57% of the vote. She is running for re-election.

Democratic primary

Filed

District 15

District 15 election
Incumbent Senator

Glenn Wakai
Democratic



Incumbent Democrat Glenn Wakai was re-elected in 2022 with 67.69% of the vote. He has not announced if he will run for re-election.

Democratic primary

Potential

District 17

District 17 election
Incumbent Senator

Donovan Dela Cruz
Democratic



Incumbent Democrat Donovan Dela Cruz was re-elected in 2022 with 65.20% of the vote. He has not announced if he will run for re-election.

Democratic primary

Filed
  • Nani H. Brown[7]
Potential

District 19 (special)

District 19 special election
Incumbent Senator

Rachele Lamosao
Democratic



Incumbent Democrat Rachele Lamosao was appointed effective January 2026 after Henry Aquino, who was re-elected in 2024 unopposed, resigned in November 2025. A special election to fill the remaining two years of his term will be held concurrent with regularly scheduled primary elections on August 8.[9]

Democratic primary

Potential

Republican primary

Filed

District 20

District 20 election
Incumbent Senator

Kurt Fevella
Republican



Incumbent Republican Kurt Fevella was re-elected in 2022 unopposed. He is running for re-election.

Republican primary

Filed

Democratic primary

Filed
  • Rose Martinez, former state representative from the 40th district (2022–2024)[7]
  • Mark D. "Markus" Owens, realtor[7]

District 21

District 21 election
Incumbent Senator

Mike Gabbard
Democratic



Incumbent Democrat Mike Gabbard was re-elected in 2022 with 58.89% of the vote. He is running for re-election.

Democratic primary

Filed

District 25

District 25 election
Incumbent Senator

Chris Lee
Democratic



Incumbent Democrat Chris Lee was re-elected in 2022 with 70.30% of the vote. He has not announced if he will run for re-election.

Democratic primary

Potential

Republican primary

Filed
  • Ku Lono "Bobby" Cuadra[7]

Third-party and independent candidates

Filed

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Of districts last up in 2022
  2. ^ District 5 had a special election in 2024, but it was also unopposed.

References

  1. ^ "Contest Schedule". State of Hawaii Office of Elections. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  2. ^ "Population represented by state legislators". Ballotpedia. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  3. ^ Jacobson, Louis (January 22, 2026). "Handicapping The 2026 State Legislative Map: A First Look". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  4. ^ "Hawaii 2022 General Election - Turnout by State Senate District". ArcGIS. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  5. ^ "HI 2022 State Senate". Dave's Redistricting. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  6. ^ a b "The Sunshine Blog: This Longtime Hawaiʻi Senator Is Calling It Quits". Honolulu Civil Beat. November 2, 2025. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "2026 Candidate Report". Hawaii Office of Elections. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  8. ^ a b c "The Sunshine Blog: Kouchi's Running After All. So What Will Kawakami Do?". Civil Beat. August 17, 2025. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  9. ^ "The Sunshine Blog: Choices To Replace Sen. Henry Aquino Are, Uh, Interesting". Honolulu Civil Beat. October 12, 2025. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
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