Exercise Your Vote and Choose Wisely
Being an informed voter has always been – and will always be – important.
Voting based on name recognition, rigid partisanship, or by simply checking off the first name on your ballot’s list of candidates is as bad as not voting at all.
The only way to vote responsibly is by educating ourselves about the candidates running for office: their skills and experience; what they have already accomplished; their past and present contributions to our community; their demonstrated character and values; their platforms; and what they believe in and how this aligns (or does not align) with your own values.
No matter your political leanings – Democrat, Republican, Independent, Green, or Sovereign – voting in your respective county, state, and federal elections is a tool for change available to every Hawaiian over the age of 18.
As Kānaka ʻŌiwi, we owe it to ourselves, to our ʻāina, and to the generations that will follow to elect individuals who will champion and create laws and policies that protect our people, our land and our culture.
Opting out is not a proactive option and does not serve the best interests of our lāhui.
Our kūpuna voted. They elected Prince Kūhiō as their delegate to the U.S. Congress. Had they not, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands would not exist, and far fewer Hawaiians would have homes today. If we want change, we need to vote for the people who will best represent us.
Hawaiʻi’s August Primary Election is upon us, and in 2026 being an informed voter is more important than ever.
Our world is beset by war, militarism, racism, resource hoarding, high costs of living, climate change, catastrophic environmental degradation, and policies enacted based on the whims of billionaire leaders the world over who have risen to power on the shoulders of imperialism, colonialism, and dark money.
No matter our grievances, one way to change corrupt systems is through grassroots mobilization. Indigenous people everywhere need to rise up and use every tool at our disposal. For Native Hawaiians that includes exercising our vote.
Since OHA trustee candidate races are not covered extensively in our local mainstream media, Ka Wai Ola surveyed the 19 candidates running as trustees for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to help our lāhui make informed decisions ahead of the Primary Election.
This year, five of the nine board positions are open: Oʻahu, Maui, and three “At-Large” seats. Read ahead to learn more about this year’s candidates.
We asked all candidates the same three write-in questions and five yes/no questions. 18 of the 19 candidates responded.
Maui Candidates
Oʻahu Candidates
At-Large Candidates
NO RESPONSES
On June 16, all candidates running for OHA’s Board of Trustees were contacted via email and invited to respond to Ka Wai Ola’s 2026 Primary Election candidate survey. We followed up with reminders on June 29 and again on July 2. Eighteen of the 19 candidates responded. At-Large candidate Kalena Parish did not participate in Ka Wai Ola’s candidate survey.
- Kalena Parish, At-Large Candidate
