Honestly, if you were watching the Hawaii County election results 2024 roll in on election night, you probably felt that specific kind of Big Island tension. It wasn't just about the top of the ticket. Sure, we knew how the presidential race would go in Hawaii—it’s a deep blue state, after all—but the real drama was happening right in our own backyard. Between a massive upset in the Mayor’s race and some significant shifts in the State House, the 2024 cycle proved that Big Island voters aren't just rubber-stamping incumbents anymore.
People are frustrated. Cost of living is through the roof, and housing is a nightmare for basically everyone. That sentiment showed up in the numbers.
The Big Upset: Kimo Alameda Takes the Helm
The biggest shocker of the night? Incumbent Mayor Mitch Roth losing his seat. It’s actually pretty rare for a sitting mayor in Hawaii County to get ousted after just one term, but Dr. Kimo Alameda pulled it off.
Alameda secured 35,577 votes, which comes out to about 51.2% of the total. Roth trailed behind with 30,717 votes (44.2%).
Why did this happen? It wasn't just one thing. Alameda ran a very high-energy, "boots on the ground" campaign that seemed to resonate with people who felt the current administration was moving too slowly on infrastructure and homelessness. Roth, a former prosecutor, leaned on his record of "getting the house in order," but for many voters, that didn't translate into enough tangible change in their daily lives. Alameda’s background in health and human services gave him a different kind of leverage, especially when talking about the fentanyl crisis and mental health on the island.
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Breaking Down the State Legislature
While the Mayor’s race was the main event, the Hawaii County election results 2024 for the state legislature showed a lot of familiar faces holding onto their power, though not without some pressure.
In the State Senate, Dru Kanuha (District 3) kept his seat comfortably, pulling in 13,112 votes (63.1%) against Republican Kurt Sullivan. Kanuha has been a staple in West Hawaii politics for a while now, and his win wasn't a huge surprise to anyone following the polls.
Over in the House, most incumbents survived the night:
- Greggor Ilagan (District 4) won big with 66.2% of the vote.
- Jeanne Kapela (District 5) took home 56%, beating Ashley Oyama.
- Nicole Lowen (District 7) held her seat with 52.2%, though Republican Timothy Dalhouse gave her a tighter race than some expected.
- David Tarnas (District 8) secured 59.4% in North Kohala and South Kohala.
There was a notable shift in District 2, where Sue Lee Loy—a name you definitely know if you follow the County Council—successfully made the jump to the State House, winning the seat vacated by Richard Onishi.
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The Presidential Shift Nobody Talks About
We have to look at the "red shift" because it was real. Kamala Harris won Hawaii County with 52,163 votes (63%), while Donald Trump took 28,748 votes (34.7%).
On the surface, that looks like a blowout. But look closer. In 2020, Joe Biden won the county by a much larger margin. Trump actually improved his performance across every single county in Hawaii in 2024. In Hawaii County specifically, the margin narrowed by several percentage points. This mirrors a national trend of working-class voters shifting right, often driven by the price of gas and groceries—which, let’s be real, are even more insane here than on the mainland.
Voter Turnout: The Numbers are Kinda Low
One thing that's a bit disappointing is the turnout. Out of 135,077 registered voters in Hawaii County, only 83,686 actually turned in a ballot. That’s a 62% turnout rate.
While that’s slightly better than some other counties in the state, it means almost 40% of our neighbors sat this one out. Most people (76,595) used the mail-in system, while only about 7,000 people showed up to vote in person at a service center. It’s clear that the "all-mail" system is the new normal, but it hasn't necessarily sparked a massive wave of new participation.
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What about the Charter Amendments?
We also had to vote on those confusing ballot questions. One of the big ones involved the Salary Commission. Voters generally seem skeptical of giving the government more power to raise its own pay, and that played out in the results. Across the state, there was also a huge push for the constitutional amendment protecting marriage equality, which passed with a solid majority, including strong support from Big Island voters.
Actionable Insights for the Next Cycle
If you're looking at these Hawaii County election results 2024 and wondering what’s next, there are a few things you should actually do to stay ahead of the curve:
- Watch the transition: Kimo Alameda took office in December 2024. Keep an eye on his first 100 days—specifically how he handles the permitting backlog and the Department of Water Supply issues.
- Engage with your Council Member: The County Council remains a mix of veterans and some newer energy. Since most of the local "action" happens at the council level, signing up for their newsletters is the only way to know when a new development is being proposed in your neighborhood.
- Check your registration: If you moved recently or didn't get your ballot in the mail, go to the Hawaii Office of Elections website now. Don't wait until 2026.
- Follow the money: Local politics is often driven by the budget. Now that the election is over, the real work of deciding where our tax dollars go begins. Attend a budget hearing—they’re usually on Zoom now, so you don't even have to drive to Hilo.
The 2024 results showed a county that is ready for change but still largely rooted in its Democratic foundations. Whether Alameda can deliver on the high expectations he set during the campaign is the big question for the next four years.