This Saturday, Hawaii Democrats will choose their nominee to succeed term-limited Gov. David Ige. Winning the primary in this deep blue state is virtually tantamount to prevailing in November in a race we rate as Solid Democrat.
There are three top candidates in the seven-way Democratic primary: Lt. Gov. Josh Green, 2nd District Rep. Kai Kahele and former Hawaii first lady Vicky Cayetano. An early July Civil Beat/Hawaii News Now survey showed Green in the driver’s seat with 48 percent support. Followed by Kahele at 16 percent and Cayetano at 15 percent. Twenty-two percent of voters were undecided.
An emergency room physician, Green has emphasized his work to help the state during the COVID pandemic. He filmed videos using a whiteboard to explain infection rates and trends. Green has spent just under $1.15 million on ads, pledging to tackle the state’s lack of affordable housing and homelessness crisis, and a super PAC, Be Change Now, has also spent $318,000 on his behalf, per AdImpact.
Cayetano — whose husband Ben was governor from 1994
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