A Green Party candidate who sought Hawaii’s House District 14 appears to have won his race, defeating his Republican and Democratic opponents to become the party’s sole successful legislative candidate of the 2026 election cycle.
According to unofficial results published by Hawaii’s Office of Elections, Green candidate Pāʻele Kiakona leads Democratic nominee Sne Patel and incumbent Republican Elle Cochran, who was elected twice as a Democrat before switching parties earlier this year. The district includes Kahakuloa, Waihe‘e, Lahaina, and Ka‘anapali.
State figures show that Kiakona captured 2,991 votes for 41.1 percent of the total cast. Patel earned 2,884 votes and Cochran 1,236 votes. While a recount is still possible, it’s unlikely if Kiakona maintains his current lead of more than 100 votes. The office will certify final results later this month.
On his campaign website, Kiakona identifies himself as a longtime community advocate whose family has deep roots in Maui, particularly the Mala Village area of Lahaina. He states that he was involved in the recovery and rebuilding efforts following the Lahaina wildfires, which helped motivate his candidacy.
He also identifies rebuilding Lahaina safely, making housing more affordable for local families, protecting Maui’s land and water resources, and promoting greater accountability in government as his primary campaign priorities.
The Honolulu Civil Beat reports that Kiakona’s campaign benefited from having the support of Hawaii’s five largest unions, which have historically supported Democratic candidates. It remains a question of how he intends to caucus.
If Kiakona’s lead holds, it would be a significant milestone for the Green Party of Hawaii, which has never elected a legislative candidate. It would also represent the first state legislative victory for a Green Party candidate nationally since 2012, when Fred Smith was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives.
However, the party has had representation in state legislatures since then through occasional party changes, most recently in Maryland, where Democratic state delegate Shane Robinson joined the Green Party in November 2018 and served out the remainder of his term.
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