State Sen. Lorraine Inouye, whose Paukaa residence was redistricted from Senate District 4 to Senate District 1, cruised to an easy victory Saturday night over District 1 incumbent Laura Acasio in the Democrat primary election.
Inouye held the District 1 seat from 1998 to 2008.
After nearly all mail-in ballots were tabulated, Inouye had 6,753 votes, or 57.2% of the valid votes cast, Acasio had 3,446 votes, 29.2%, and Wil Okabe, a former county managing director for Harry Kim and East Hawaii liaison for Gov. David Ige, was third at 1,616 votes, or 13.7%.
Inouye will face Republican Helen Tupai, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary.
“Personally, I believe returning home to the Senate District 1 made a big difference, because I was the senator there for 10 years,” said Inouye, who spent election night with supporters at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. “The majority of voters know me, as well.
“So it’s sort of a statement of welcome home.”
The race drew keen interest from political observers with the two setting Democratic senators facing off for the seat Acasio was appointed to in January 2021 after U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele vacated it to run for Congress.
Acasio, an environmentalist, community organizer and former teacher, thanked her supporters after viewing the results.
“It just goes to show we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Acasio said. “Mahalo, Hilo, for the votes and all the support. See you in two years.”
Inouye had a large war chest to work with. She reported raising $206,686.30 and spent $148,449.64.
Acasio reported $39,162.49 in contributions, while spending $26,918.29.
In Senate District 2, representing Puna and Ka‘u, incumbent Sen. Joy San Buenaventura ran unopposed in the primary, receiving 6,087 votes.
In the November general election, she’ll likely face Republican Holly Osborn, who was leading Dianne Hensley, 986 votes to 641, or 60.6% of the valid votes cast, and Libertarian Fred Fogel, who received 40 votes running unopposed.
Sen. Dru Kanuha, a Democrat, was the only candidate for the District 3 seat he occupies, and will serve another four-year term representing Kona and Ka‘u.
In District 4, Herbert “Tim” Richards, a Waimea veterinarian who represents County Council District 7, received 6,361 votes as the lone Democrat running for the sprawling District 4 seat encompassing Hamakua and Kohala that Inouye will vacate because of reapportionment.
In November, he’ll face Republican Nicholas Tancheff, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary.