Kawakami wins lieutenant governor race in Democratic primary

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii News Now has called the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor.

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After the first printout, Kauaʻi Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami established a commanding lead over second-place competitor, state Rep. Della Au Belatti.

Kawakami thanked his family and supporters Saturday night.

”I truly don’t know what I’ve done in life to deserve this type of support, but I am truly grateful,” he said. “We just lost Persephone [his dog] a couple days ago, and I’m rambling because right now I’m a hot mess. I’ve had my ups and downs, but they have never given up on me and I never gave up on myself.”

Kawakami thanked Belatti for running a strong campaign. Looking ahead to the November general election, he called for unity across the state and emphasized the importance of taking care of local families.

“If there’s going to be a victory, it is not mine. It is our victory,” Kawakami said.

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Gov. Josh Green, who easily won his Democratic primary, highlighted the strength of their partnership as they look toward the general election.

“A person who’s got this much experience, this big of heart, who’s already been an executive dealing with COVID, helping his fellow mayors deal with the wildfires and the floods,” Green said of Kawakami.

“If I’m chosen again as governor with Derek, we have two executives with a lot, many years of experience to take on affordability, housing, homelessness, things we’ve already worked together on,” Green said.

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Lieutenant Governor – Democratic

On the Republican side, Daniel Anthony emerged as the early front-runner.

Lieutenant Governor – Republican

View all election night coverage here.